Home Fire Safety Check List

      A residential fire occurs every half hour in Ohio. How safe is your home from fire? To     
     determine the safety of your home from fire
     hazard, study these questions with your family. Every "yes" answer indicates a positive fire
     safety situation. However, every "no" answer points to a fire hazard that needs to be corrected.

Matches and Careless Smoking Hazards
  • Do you keep matches away from sources of heat?
  • Do you make sure matches and smoking materials are out before disposing of them?
  • Do you have plenty of large, noncombustible ash trays in every room?
  • Is "No Smoking in Bed" a rule in your home?
Electrical Hazards
  • Do you have qualified electricians install or extend your wiring?
  • When you buy electrical equipment and appliances, do you always look for the UL label of Underwriters’ Laboratories, Inc.?
  • Are there enough electrical outlets in every room to avoid the need for multiple attachment plugs and long extension cords?
  • Are there proper heat controls on your electrical iron and all electrical appliances used for cooking?
  • Do you have special circuits for heavy duty appliances?
  • Do you use only 15 amp. Fuses for your household lighting circuits?
  • Are all extension cords of the right size, in the open and not under rugs or through partitions or openings?
Housekeeping Hazards
  • Do you keep your basement, closets and attic clear of rugs, papers and other combustible materials?
  • After using oily polishing rags, do you destroy them or place them in a covered metal can?
  • If you store paint, varnish, and other items, do you keep the containers tightly closed?
  • Has everyone in your family been warned never to use gasoline or other flammable liquids for cleaning clothes, furnishings or floors
Heating and Cooking Hazards
  • If you use oil heat or gas heat, is the equipment listed by the proper laboratories such as UL or the American gas Association?
  • Before the heating season begins, do you have your heating system inspected and serviced?
  • If you have a wood burning stove, has it been installed properly according to manufacturer's instructions?
  • Do you burn seasoned wood and is it stored in the proper place?
  • Are all vent connectors and flue pipes that pass through attics, floors, ceilings and walls properly installed?
  • Is your kitchen stove, including the oven and the broiler, kept clean of grease?
  • Do all portable heaters in your home bear the lave of Underwriters' Laboratories (UL) or some other recognized safety testing agency?
  • If you use a portable heater, is it placed well away from any and all combustible materials?
  • Do you always refill the fuel tank of your kerosene heater outdoors?
  • Since portable kerosene heaters use up oxygen when they burn, do you always have adequate ventilation?
  • Do you always turn off the portable heater when you go to bed?
  • Do you make sure that the fuel is not contaminated prior to using it in your kerosene heater?
  • Is your inside basement door at the head of the stairs properly fitted and kept closed at night?
  • Has everyone in the family been warned never to use any flammable liquids to start a fire in the stove, fireplace or furnace?
  • Is every fireplace equipped with a sturdy metal fire screen?
Yard and Garage Hazards
  • Do you keep your yard cleaned of leaves, debris, and combustible rubbish?
  • If you keep gasoline for use in a power mower or outboard motor, is it stored in a strong, clearly labeled red gasoline safety-type can?
  • If your garage is attached to the house, is it separated by a firerated door, which is kept, closed?
  • If you store kerosene, is it placed in an approved blue and white container that is clearly labeled kerosene?
Especially for Parents
  • Do you keep matches out of the reach of children?
  • Do you leave a responsible person with your children when you go out, even for a little while?
  • When you employ babysitters, do you instruct them carefully on what to do incase of a fire?
  • Are you careful never to leave children alone in a room with a portable heater or wood stove?
  • IMPORTANT: A child learns by example as well as by instruction. In regard to fire safety, do you always set a good example?
In Case of Fire
  • Do you know the telephone number of your fire department?
  • Do you know how to turn in a fire alarm?
  • Do you have escape plan with at least two ways out of every room in your home?
  • Have you practiced that escape plan by holding fire drills in your home?
Smoke Detectors
  • Do you have a smoke detector installed on every level of your home?
  • Do you test your detector weekly to insure that it is in proper working order?

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