As the weather starts to turn colder, the risk of fires increases significantly.
Buzzly and His TreeHouse Buddies want to urge families to focus on burn prevention and awareness, as well as take active measures to help prevent fires in their homes. Approximately 80 percent of all fire-related deaths and injuries occur in the home, and young children are at a particularly high risk because they don’t perceive danger as readily and can lack the ability to escape a life-threatening burn situation.
Important fire and burn safety tips for parents:
Set your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Consider installing water faucets and shower heads containing anti-scald technology.
Keep matches, gasoline, lighters and all other flammable materials locked away and out of children’s reach and teach them never to touch these items.
Never leave a burning candle unattended. Place candles in a safe location away from combustible materials and where children or pets cannot tip them over.
Keep children away from cooking and heating appliances, and never leave the kitchen while you are cooking. Use back burners and turn pot handles to the back of the stove when cooking.
Place space heaters at least 3 feet from curtains, papers, furniture and other flammable materials. Always turn space heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
Install smoke alarms on every level of the home, outside every sleeping area, and in each bedroom. Test them every month and change the batteries once a year, even if they are hard-wired. Smoke alarms are also available with 10-year lithium batteries.
Consider a home sprinkler system. The combination of smoke alarms and sprinklers can reduce your chances of dying in a fire by 82 percent.
For more Fire Safety information, visit www.BuzzlyFireSafety.com