Home Fire Safety tips: 8 tips every New Yorker should know

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, more than 3,400 Americans die each year in fires and nearly 20,000 are injured. Many of these blazes occur in the home. So, what can YOU, a savvy New Yorker, do to keep yourself and those you love from becoming a national statistic?

Follow ManhattanManhattan’s 8 Home Fire Safety Tips:

1. BED: There are lots of ways to heat up your bed without smoking a cigarette.

2. LAPTOPS: Your bed is for love and for sleep, not for charging your laptop. On occasion, these devices heat up so leaving them unattended on a flammable surface is only asking for trouble. Yes .. it’s happened.

3. Extinguish all candles if they’re not in sight. Almost 40% of home fires start by unattended candles.

4. Use a timer when cooking. Personally, I use a timer each time I turn on the stove. Hey, we ALL get distracted.

5. Be careful with space heaters during the cold months. Keep all combustibles away from the unit and make sure to turn off the heater when you leave home.

6. Lock up all lighters and matches. Most bedroom fires are caused by children who see fire starters as toys.

7. Make sure you always have a functioning smoke alarm. They don’t seem work well if the batteries have been dead for 5 years. So check alarms on a regular basis.

8. Create both a plan and an escape route to follow if a fire breaks out.

Fire officials agree, preventing and surviving home fires is not about luck. It’s about planning ahead.

Written by Melanie Siben

Researched by Aja Pirro

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