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Fire crews throughout Utah have been busy fighting wildland blazes this summer. But a recent spate of house fires has also caused destruction on a smaller, much more personal scale across the state.
In just one week last month, the American Red Cross of Utah helped 22 people who had been displaced by seven house fires, according to a news release. After home fires in Salt Lake City, Layton, Coalville, Ogden and Goshen, plus two in Magna, volunteers tended to residents’ immediate needs and helped them find a place to stay.
“We’ve been managing another extremely busy disaster season,” Heidi Ruster, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region, said in a statement.
Here are some home fire-safety tips for summertime:
1. Plan, and practice, your fire drill:
Practice a two-minute fire drill from your home to a safe meeting place at least twice a year. The Red Cross provides a free worksheet residents can use to draw up their home’s floor plan and plot escape routes.
Each room should have two ways to escape. According to the Red Cross, in the event of a house fire, residents should get out and stay out, and not go back inside for people, pets or possessions.
2. Test smoke detectors:
Test your smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button; three beeps typically indicates that the alarm is working. If you don’t hear any beeps, it’s time to change the batteries, and if your smoke alarm is 10 or more years old, it’s due for a replacement.
If you can’t afford or install smoke alarms on your own, visit RedCross.org/sound-the-alarm and scroll down to the box titled “Free Education to Help Your Family Prepare for Home Fire.”
There, you can sign up for a home fire-safety visit from the Red Cross, which includes a free smoke alarm installation for your home.
3. Be cautious when cooking:
According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, most house fires occur while cooking, and such blazes cause the most fire-related injuries.
When cooking, stay alert, and wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves so they don’t catch fire. If you are simmering, baking, roasting or boiling food, stay in the house, and set a timer so you don’t forget you’re cooking.
Stay in the kitchen and keep a lid nearby if you are frying, grilling or broiling food — all methods that can create splattering grease.
A video from the South Jordan Fire Department explains that if a grease fire starts, you should quickly put a lid on the pot or pan and turn off the stove, then let it cool down. Never put water on a grease fire, which can exacerbate flames.
The department also recommends keeping a 3-feet “kid-free zone” around the stove, as well as boiling water on back burners and keeping pan lids turned inward, so they can’t easily be grabbed by children.
If you are grilling outdoors, never leave a barbecue unattended. According to the National Fire Prevention Association, grills should be placed “well away” from the home, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches or other materials that could catch fire.
4. Be careful with candles:
Candles are a common cause of fire-related injuries and deaths, according the Department of Public Safety.
Keep candles at least a foot away from anything that could catch fire, never leave burning candles unattended, and use flashlights (not candles) for emergency lighting. Consider using battery-powered flameless candles.
5. Be safe when smoking:
If you smoke, don’t do it indoors, the Department of Public Safety advises, and make sure butts and ashes are out by dousing them in water or sand.
Don’t smoke in bed, and never smoke where oxygen is being used.
6. Inspect your home:
This checklist from the Utah State Fire Marshal can guide residents as they inspect their own homes and help identify problems that could present a danger. The guidance includes everything from the condition of outlets to the location of smoke alarms.
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