Your room-by-room fire hazard checklist should include:

Living Room

• Open the flue or damper before starting a fire in your fireplace, every time.
• Keep all flammables at least three feet away from the fireplace.
• Place a sturdy fireplace screen in front of the fireplace.
• Have your chimney cleaned and inspected by a professional at least once a year.
• Keep candles and lamps at least one foot away from your curtains.
• Have an electrician inspect and tighten any loose electrical connections at least once a year.
• Use safety caps to cover all unused outlets.
• Use large, deep ashtrays. Never leave a burning cigarette unattended.

Bedroom

• Never use candles in your bedroom.
• Keep all lamps free of flammable materials.
• Don’t run electrical cords under rugs.
• Replace and repair loose or frayed electrical cords.
• Don’t allow permanent use of extension cords.
• Don’t staple or nail electrical cords.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Never leave heavy objects on the bed when an electric blanket is in use.
• Install a carbon monoxide alarm near bedrooms.

Bathroom

• Don’t overload outlets with cords from too many appliances. Plug them in one at a time.
• If an outlet or switch feels unusually warm, stop using it and call an electrician.
• Never set hot appliances on flammable materials.
• Unplug all appliances when done using them.
• Make sure cords from appliances are not getting pinched in drawers.
• Keep towels and other flammables at least three feet away from space heaters.

Hallway

• Install ceiling-mounted smoke alarms that are at least four inches away from the walls on every level of your home.
• Ensure smoke alarms are UL listed.
• Wall-mounted smoke alarms should be installed four to 12 inches away from the ceiling.
• Don’t install smoke alarms near windows, doors or ducts.
• Test your smoke alarms once a month.
• Vacuum your smoke alarms every six months.
• Change your smoke alarm batteries at least once a year. Make sure batteries are always in smoke alarms.

Kitchen

• If you have a fire extinguisher, be sure you are properly trained to use it.
• Make sure the fire extinguisher is for multipurpose use.
• Keep the fire extinguisher in a place where it is easy to access.
• Never leave anything on the stove or under the broiler unattended.
• Keep the cooking area clear of items that can burn.
• Maintain a three-foot kid-free and pet-free zone around the stove.
• Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing while you are cooking.

Basement

• Have your heating system serviced once a year before cold weather begins.
• When buying a new unit, have a qualified technician install it or check that it was installed properly.
• Choose a heating device with an automatic shutoff feature.
• Make sure your clothes dryer is installed and serviced by a professional.
• Have a gas-powered dryer inspected by a professional at least once a year to check flexible gas lines for damage and proper connection, and to ensure all piping is free of leaks.
• Keep areas around heating sources clear of debris and insulated from the heating source.
• Be sure to clean the lint tray in your dryer before each use and check around the drum for any accumulated lint.
• Have a professional clean the inside of your dryer every one to three years.
• Do not store clothing or other combustibles any closer than one foot from the dryer.
• Do not let your dryer continue running when you leave your home.

Outdoors

• Keep your grill at least three feet away from your home.
• If you live in a place where it snows, remember to keep all exhaust vents from your home clear and shovel out hydrants near your home.
• Develop and practice a home evacuation plan.
• Make sure every family member knows two ways out of each room in your home.
• Practice escaping, staying low to the ground and not opening doors that are hot to the touch.
• Assign a family member to assist anyone with a mobility issue.
• Choose a place outside your home for all family members to meet. Get out of the home first and then call the fire department from a neighbor’s phone. Make sure everyone knows not to return inside the home.

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