Fire Prevention Tips

1. Make sure you have a working smoke detector on every level of your home.
2. Plan your escape – know at least 2 ways out.
3. Practice home fire drills.

• Different Types Of Smoke Detectors:
  • Ionization smoke alarms have a small amount of radioactive material between two electrically charged plates which ionizes the air and causes current to flow between the plates. When smoke enters the chamber, it disrupts the flow of ions, thus reducing the flow of current and activating the alarm.
  • Photoelectric-type alarms aim a light source into a sensing chamber at an angle away from the sensor. If smoke enters the chamber, it causes light to reflect onto the light sensor which then triggers the alarm.
  • Both types of technologies have improved home fire safety.
  • Smoke detectors are available that contain both ionization- and photoelectric-type alarms. The benefits of having both types of detection in one alarm are:
    • Ionization smoke detection is generally more responsive to flaming fires and
    • Photoelectric smoke detection is generally more responsive to smoldering fires.
• Installing Smoke Alarms:
  • Install smoke alarms in each level of your home, including the basement.
  • Make sure there is at least one smoke alarm outside of the sleeping areas.
  • Mount the smoke alarm high on the ceiling or walls.
  • Ceiling mounted smoke alarms should be at least 4" from the nearest wall.
  • Wall mounted smoke alarms should be at least 4" to 12" from the ceiling.
  • Pitched ceilings: install the smoke alarm near the highest point on the ceiling.
  • Do not install smoke alarms near windows, doors, or ducts where their operation may be affected by air currents and dust.
• Test your smoke alarms monthly.
• Replace your smoke alarm batteries regularly. The rule of thumb is "when you change your clock for daylight savings, change your smoke alarm battery."
• Replace smoke alarms at least 10 years old and older with new ones.
• Regularly vacuum or dust your smoke alarm.
• Do not paint or place any type of stickers on smoke alarms.
• Never disable your smoke alarm; not even temporarily.

Consider Installing Automatic Sprinkler Systems

Contrary to what many Americans think, we are not at greatest risk from fire in hotels or other public places; it is at home, where most of us feel the safest, that we are actually at highest risk of fire. Hotels, in fact, are among the places that are safest from fire, and that is due in large part to the fire protection technology required for them. That technology typically includes automatic fire sprinklers.

In a home fire sprinkler system, a network of piping filled with water under pressure is installed behind the walls and ceilings, and individual sprinklers are placed along the piping to protect the areas beneath them. Because the water is always in the piping, the fire sprinkler system is always “on call.” If fire breaks out, the air temperature above the fire rises and the sprinkler activates when the air temperature gets high enough. The sprinkler sprays water forcefully over the flames, extinguishing them completely in most cases, or at least controlling the heat and limiting the development of toxic smoke until the fire department arrives. Only the sprinkler(s) nearest the fire activate. Smoke will not activate sprinklers. 

Sprinklers are so effective because they react so quickly. They reduce the risk of death or injury from a fire because they dramatically reduce the heat, flames and smoke produced, allowing people the time to evacuate the home. Home fire sprinkler systems release approximately 10-25 gallons of water per minute. In a home without sprinklers, a fire is likely to grow to dangerous levels by the time the fire department is able to arrive.

In less time than it typically takes the fire department to arrive on the scene, sprinklers contain and even extinguish a home fire. That not only reduces property damage, it saves lives. Home fires account for 80% of all fire deaths.

Unfortunately, there are many stubborn misconceptions about home fire sprinklers that make some homeowners reluctant to install sprinklers in their homes. These are the facts:

• It is extremely rare for sprinklers to operate accidentally. In a typical home, water damage will be considerably less from unwanted sprinkler discharges than from other plumbing mishaps.
• Cigar smoke and burned toast cannot cause a sprinkler to operate. Only the high temperature that results from a fire will activate the sprinkler.
• All the sprinklers do not activate at once. This scenario may be common in movies and TV shows, but it just isn't true for residential fire sprinkler systems. Only the sprinkler closest to the fire activates. 90% of the time, one sprinkler contains the fire.

Home fire sprinklers give you added protection from fire and peace of mind. Although most state and local codes do not require sprinkler systems in all homes, NFPA encourages the use of home fire sprinkler systems. Ask your builder about installing sprinklers in your home. Free information for both builders and homeowners is available by contacting the nonprofit Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition.

Developing and practicing a home fire escape plan that everyone understands can mean the difference between life and death. Fire can grow and spread through your home very quickly. It's important that you be prepared to react as soon as the smoke alarm sounds. Nearly half (44%) of American households who made an estimate thought they would have at least 6 minutes before a fire in their home would become life-threatening. The time available is often less. And only 8% said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out!

These tips can help you put together – and practice – an effective home fire escape plan.

• Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. 
• Draw a floor plan of your home showing two ways out of each room, including windows.
• Don't forget to mark the location of each smoke alarm.
• Test all smoke alarms monthly to ensure that they work. Replace batteries as needed.
• Make sure that everyone understands the escape plan and recognizes the sound of the smoke alarm. Are the escape routes clear? Can doors and windows be easily opened?
• If windows or doors in your home have security bars, make sure that the bars have quick-release mechanisms on the inside so they can be opened immediately in an emergency.
• Practice the escape plan both day and night at least twice a year, making sure that everyone is involved – from kids to grandparents.
• Allow children to master fire escape planning and practice before holding a fire drill at night when they are sleeping. The objective is to practice, not to frighten, so telling children there will be a drill before they go to bed can be as effective as a surprise drill.
• If children or others do not readily awaken to the sound of the smoke alarm, or if there are infants or family members with mobility limitations, make sure that someone is assigned to assist them during the fire drill and in the event of an emergency.
• Agree on an outside meeting place where everyone can meet after they've escaped. Remember to get out first, and then call for help.
• Never go back inside until the fire department gives the OK.
• Have everyone memorize the emergency phone number 911. That way any member of the household can call from a cellular phone or a neighbor's home.
• If you live in an apartment building, make sure that you're familiar with the building's evacuation plan. In case of a fire, use the stairs, never the elevator.
• Be fully prepared for a real fire: when a smoke alarm sounds, get out immediately. And once you're out, stay out – leave the firefighting to the professionals!

Tell guests or visitors to your home about your family's fire escape plan. When visiting other people's homes, ask about their escape plan. If they don't have a plan in place, offer to help them make one.

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Children playing with fire cause hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries each year. Preschoolers are most likely to start these fires, typically by playing with matches and lighters. Most of the people killed in child-playing fires are under 5, and such fires are the leading cause of fire deaths among preschoolers. Just over half of child playing fires in the home start in a bedroom. Follow these fire prevention tips to decrease the chances of your child starting a fire:

• Store matches and lighters out of children's reach and sight, preferably in a locked cabinet.
• Never use lighters or matches as a source of amusement for children.
• If your child expresses curiosity about fire or has been playing with fire, calmly but firmly explain that matches and lighters are tools for adults only.
• Use only lighters designed with child-resistant features, and store them up high in a locked cabinet.
• Teach young children to tell an adult if they see matches or lighters.
• Teach school-age children to bring any matches or lighters to an adult.
• Never leave matches or lighters in a bedroom or any place where children may go without supervision.

If you suspect your child is intentionally setting fires or unduly fascinated with fire, get help immediately. Your local fire department, school, or community-counseling agency can put you in touch with experts trained to help. An additional resource for parents of fire starters is "Straight Talk" – a program offered through the University of Michigan’s Trauma Burn Center. For more information, you can visit http://www.traumaburn.org/traumaburn/injuryprevention/straighttalk.asp .

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* "Homes" are defined as dwellings, duplexes, manufactured homes (mobile home), apartments, row houses, townhouses, and condominiums. 

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Cooking fires are the #1 cause of home fires and home fire injuries:

• In 2005, U.S. fire departments responded to 146,400 home structure fires that involved cooking equipment.
• These fires caused:
  • 480 civilian fire deaths,
  • 4,690 civilian fire injuries (59% of the injuries occurred when the victims tried to fight the fire themselves), and
  • $876 million in direct property damage.
• Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires.

Most cooking equipment fires start with the ignition of common household items such as food or grease, cabinets, wall coverings, paper or plastic bags, curtains, etc. Three in every ten reported home fires start in the kitchen – more than any other place in the home. Follow these safety tips when cooking:

• Never leave cooking food on the stovetop unattended.
• Keep cooking areas clean and clear of combustibles (e.g. potholders, towels, rags, drapes and food packaging).
• Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a “kid-free zone” of three feet (1 meter) around the stove.
• Keep pets from underfoot so you do not trip while cooking.
• Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangle onto stove burners and catch fire.
• Never use a wet oven mitt, as it presents a scald danger if the moisture in the mitt is heated.
• Always keep a potholder, oven mitt and lid handy. If a small fire starts in a pan on the stove, put on an oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the burner. Don't remove the lid until it is completely cool.
• Never pour water on a grease fire and never discharge a fire extinguisher onto a pan fire, as it can spray or shoot burning grease around the kitchen, actually spreading the fire.
• If there is an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you and your clothing.
• If there is a microwave fire, keep the door closed and unplug the microwave. Call the fire department and make sure to have the oven serviced before you use it again.
• Carefully remove the lids or other coverings from food prepared in the microwave to prevent steam burns.

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Electrical distribution equipment (i.e., wiring, switches, outlets, cords and plugs, fuse and circuit breaker boxes, lighting fixtures, and lamps) was the third leading cause of home fires and the second leading cause of fire deaths in the United States between 1994 and 1998. Keep these electrical safety tips in mind:

• Replace or repair loose or frayed cords on all electrical devices.
• Avoid running extension cords across doorways or under carpets.
• In homes with small children, electrical outlets should have plastic safety covers.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions for plugging an appliance into a receptacle outlet.
• Avoid overloading outlets. Consider plugging only one high-wattage appliance into each receptacle outlet at a time.
• If outlets or switches feel warm, shut off the circuit and have them checked by an electrician.
• When possible, avoid the use of "cube taps" and other devices that allow the connection of multiple appliances into a single receptacle.
• Place lamps on level surfaces, away from things that can burn and use bulbs that match the lamp's recommended wattage.

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Smoking materials (i.e., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.) are the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States. Roughly one of every four fire deaths in 2005 was attributed to smoking materials. In 2005, there were an estimated 82,400 smoking-material fires in structures, 800 civilian deaths, and 1,660 civilian injuries. The fire prevention tips below can reduce your chances of having a smoking-related fire:

• Encourage smokers to smoke outside.
• Keep smoking materials away from anything that can burn (i.e., mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture, draperies, etc.).
• Never smoke in bed or when you are drowsy, intoxicated, or medicated.
• Use large, deep, and non-tip ashtrays to prevent ashes from spilling onto furniture and check them frequently. Do not rest ashtrays on sofas or chairs.
• Completely douse butts and ashes with water before throwing them away as they can smolder in the trash and cause a fire.
• Smoking should not be allowed in a home where oxygen is in use.
• Whenever someone has been smoking in the home, always check on, between, and under upholstery and cushions and inside trashcans for butts that may be smoldering.
• When smokers visit your home, ask them to keep smoking materials, lighters, and matches with them so young children do not touch them.
• Keep matches and lighters up high, out of children's sight and reach, preferably in a locked cabinet.
• If you smoke, choose fire-safe cigarettes. They are less likely to cause fires.

Much more information is available from the Ferndale Fire Department. We are happy to answer your questions year round and during National Fire Prevention Week. Fire Prevention Week revolves around the date of the Great Chicago Fire – October 9. It is the week (Sunday through Saturday) that includes October 9. During that week, schools will give children information regarding fire prevention. Be sure to mark Fire Prevention Week on your calendar!

For more information about these fire issues, go to the Research and Reports section of the NFPA website.

We encourage our citizens to stop in and speak with the firefighters and learn more on how they can make their homes and business places safer. Working to make Ferndale a safer place to live and work,

Fire Marshal Brian Batten

Remember that a candle is an open flame. It can easily ignite any combustible nearby. During 2005, an estimated 15,600 home fires started by candles. These fires resulted in an estimated 150 civilian deaths, 1,270 civilian injuries, and an estimated direct property loss of $539 million.  Two-fifths (41%) of the home candle fires started in the bedroom. The top five days for home candle fires were Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, New Year's Day, New Year's Eve, and Halloween.

In the past decade, people have become more aware of the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in the home. Often called the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless, and colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.

In 2005:

• U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 61,100 non-fire CO incidents,
• January and December (between the hours of 6:00pm and 10:00pm) were found to be the peak months for these incidents, and
• 89% of the CO incidents took place in the home.

The risk of unintentional CO death is highest for the very old (ages 75 or above). The symptoms of CO poisoning include severe headache, dizziness, mental confusion, nausea, or faintness. Many of these symptoms are similar to the flu, food poisoning, or other illnesses. Installation of CO alarms (listed by an independent testing laboratory) inside your home can provide an early warning of accumulating CO.

Protective devices capable of responding to overloads and short circuits, such as circuit breakers, have been available for a number of years. Newer technologies now provide enhanced protection from arcing or ground-faults, which may prevent fires or shock. The NFPA has more information about fire safety issues pertaining to Arc-Fault Circuit-Interrupters (AFCIs) or Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupters (GFCIs) at the NFPA website.

Smoke alarms save lives. But those who are deaf or hard of hearing cannot depend on the sound of the regular alarm to alert them to a fire. There are now a variety of smoke alarms on the market that combine sound and strobe lights to alert those with limited hearing that there is a fire in the home. The majority of fatal fires occur when people are sleeping, and because smoke can put people into a deeper sleep, it is important to have the necessary early warning of a fire to ensure that they wake up. Keep a communications device nearby. If you use a TTY/TTD device, place it close to the bed so that communication with emergency personnel is possible should fire or smoke trap you in your room.

Clothes dryers accounted for 1 out of every 25 home structure fires between 1999-2002. The leading cause of home clothes dryer fires was lack of maintenance (30%) followed by unidentified or unknown-type mechanical failure (19%) and part failure, leak or break (16%). Clothing (not on a person) was the most common source of ignition in home clothes dryer fires followed by dust, fiber, or lint. To ensure that the gas line and connects are intact, gas-powered dryers should be regularly inspected by a professional. Cleaning the lint screen and vacuuming the dryer vent can greatly reduce the chances of a fire.

Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires during the months of December, January, and February and trails only cooking equipment in home fires year round. In 2005, heating equipment was involved in more than 62,000 home structure fires. These fires caused $909 million in damages and led to 620 civilian deaths and 1,550 civilian injuries. Space heaters (portable and fixed) accounted for 32% of the home heating fires and 22% of home fire deaths. Common causes of space heating home fires are: lack of regular cleaning, leading to creosote build-up, in wood-burning devices and associated chimneys and connectors; failure to give space heaters space by installing or placing them too close to combustibles; basic flaws in the construction or design of wood burning heating equipment; and fuel spills or leaks involving liquid- or gas-fueled heating equipment.

Information about product safety and product recalls can be found at the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission website.

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The City of Ferndale, Michigan
300 East Nine Mile Road
Ferndale, Michigan  48220
(248) 546-2525