Fire Marshal Stresses Need

For Residential Fire Safety

During the past month, there have been several house fires that have had a significant effect on local families, though fortunately there have been no injuries to residents or firefighters responding to those blazes.

In view of those incidents, the town fire marshal’s office is stressing the importance of residential fire safety during the cold-weather months, when alternative heating and lighting methods are used in some homes.

Testing smoke detectors monthly and replacing smoke detector batteries twice a year will ensure residents of an early warning in the event that a fire starts.

Homes should have at least one smoke detector per floor and one smoke detector outside each bedroom.

If there is an electrical power failure, residents should use “light sticks” and battery-powered candles for lighting instead of actual candles.

If actual candles are used, burning candles should not be left unattended.

Residents should dispose of fireplace ashes and woodstove ashes properly by placing those ashes in a metal can with a tight-fitting lid. That can should then placed away from the house. Such ashes must not be left on a deck or in a garage. Such ashes may remain hot for several days and have been responsible for many structure fires.

Members of families should discuss among themselves the measures that they would take if a fire does occur in the home. Every family member must know at least two ways to exit the home in an emergency.

After escaping from a fire, family members should gather in a planned meeting spot away from the house. That meeting spot should be visible to firefighters.

The fire marshal’s office urges fires be reported by telephone to Emergency 911 from outside the home. Callers should use a cellular telephone or the telephone at a neighbor’s house.

Residents should not attempt to fight the fire and should not go back inside the burning building.

The fire marshal’s office urges that residents take time to look around their homes. The may find some unsafe practices that can be easily corrected, possibly preventing a fire.

People with questions about fire safety, or who need assistance in creating escape plans from their homes in the event of fires, are asked to call the fire marshal’s office at 270-4370 for information.