Fire Prevention 2023

F RE

PREVENTION HOW YOU CAN IMPROVE

FIRE SAFETY PLUS...

• PET FIRE SAFETY • COOKING WITH CAUTION • SIGNS OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS • & MORE! A Special Advertising Section of the Bangor Daily News • Friday, October 13, 2023

2 FIRE PREVENTION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • October 13, 2023

RECOGNIZING

Fire prevention week S

INCE 1922, THE NFPA HAS SPONSORED THE PUBLIC OBSERVANCE OF FIRE PREVENTION WEEK. IN 1925, PRESIDENT CALVIN COOLIDGE PROCLAIMED FIRE PREVENTION WEEK A NATIONAL OBSERVANCE, MAKING IT THE LONGEST-RUNNING PUBLIC HEALTH OBSERVANCE IN OUR COUNTRY. DURING FIRE PREVENTION WEEK, CHILDREN, ADULTS, AND TEACHERS LEARN HOW TO STAY SAFE IN CASE OF A FIRE. FIREFIGHTERS PROVIDE LIFESAVING PUBLIC EDUCATION IN AN EFFORT TO DRASTICALLY DECREASE CASUALTIES CAUSED BY FIRES.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT

nfpa.org

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week of October 9 in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire, which began on October 8, 1871, and caused devastating damage.

This horrific conflagration killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures, and burned more than 2,000 acres of land.

This year’s Fire Prevention Week™ (FPW™) campaign, “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention™,” works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those

around them safe when cooking. Did you know cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.

In a fire, mere seconds can mean the difference between a safe escape and a tragedy. Fire safety education isn’t just for school children.

Teenagers, adults, and the elderly are also at risk in fires, making it important for every member of the community to take some time every October during Fire Prevention Week to make sure they understand how to stay safe in case of a fire.

Reproduced from NFPA’s website, www.nfpa.org/publiceducation. © NFPA.

FIRE PREVENTION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • October 13, 2023

“COOK WITH CAUTION” 1.

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BE ON ALERT! IF YOU ARE SLEEPY OR HAVE CONSUMED ALCOHOL DON’T USE THE STOVE OR STOVETOP. STAY IN THE KITCHEN WHILE YOU ARE FRYING, BOILING, GRILLING, OR BROILING FOOD. IF YOU LEAVE THE KITCHEN FOR EVEN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, TURN OFF THE STOVE. IF YOU ARE SIMMERING, BAKING, OR ROASTING FOOD, CHECK IT REGULARLY, REMAIN IN THE HOME WHILE FOOD IS COOKING, AND USE A TIMER TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU ARE COOKING. KEEP ANYTHING THAT CAN CATCH FIRE — OVEN MITTS, WOODEN UTENSILS, FOOD PACKAGING, TOWELS OR CURTAINS — AWAY FROM YOUR STOVETOP.

IF YOU HAVE A SMALL (GREASE) COOKING FIRE AND DECIDE TO FIGHT THE FIRE...

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ON THE STOVETOP, SMOTHER THE FLAMES BY SLIDING A LID OVER THE PAN AND TURNING OFF THE BURNER. LEAVE THE PAN COVERED UNTIL IT IS COMPLETELY COOLED. FOR AN OVEN FIRE, TURN OFF THE HEAT AND KEEP THE DOOR CLOSED.

IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBT ABOUT FIGHTING A SMALL FIRE… • •

JUST GET OUT! WHEN YOU LEAVE, CLOSE THE DOOR BEHIND YOU TO HELP CONTAIN THE FIRE. CALL 9-1-1 OR THE LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBER FROM OUTSIDE THE HOME.

Reproduced from NFPA’s website, www.nfpa.org/publiceducation. © NFPA.

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4 FIRE PREVENTION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • October 13, 2023

Fighting fire WITH EDUCATION STAY SAFE WITH THESE TIPS FROM LOCAL FIRE PREVENTION EXPERTS

BY STEPHANIE BOUCHARD

A

S WE APPROACH THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN THE AMERICAN RED CROSS SAYS HOME FIRES PEAK – DECEMBER AND JANUARY – IT’S GOOD TO REMIND OURSELVES OF HOW TO PREVENT HOUSE FIRES AND STAY SAFE.

THE BASICS

Plan an escape route and review it with Smoke detectors should be placed FOR MORE SAFETY TIPS, everyone in the household. on every level of the home, including GO TO>>> Always have two ways out, the basement. According to the • nfpa.org/Public-Education says Perry. If necessary, Nationa l Fi re P rotection • redcross.org/get-help keep a fire escape ladder Association (NFPA), smoke /how-to-prepare-for-emergencies /types-of-emergencie/fire.html near windows on upper detectors should be placed in each • americanhumane.org levels. Designate a location bedroom and outside sleeping areas. /fact-sheet/pet-fire-safety safely away from the house Test smoke detectors monthly, • bangormaine.gov/fire where everyone will meet. change batteries yearly, and replace Practice your escape plan detectors every 10 years. Gas detectors with everyone in the house, including are recommended for homes with natural pets. Keep your escape route clear of clutter. gas or propane.

Don’t overload electrical outlets or power strips and Homeowner-grade fire extinguishers are simple to use and last a long time, says Casey Perry, assistant regularly inspect electrical cords for damage. fire chief at the Bangor Fire Department. While specialty extinguishers are available, he recommends having ABC extinguishers, which are multipurpose.

Don’t leave the stove unattended when cooking The best place to put fire extinguishers, he says, is by and keep all combustible items, such as towels, away doorways. “Some people will put them right next to from the stove when in use. Don’t use your oven as the potential hazard,” he says, but then “you can’t get storage, says Perry, and don’t place non-cooking to it when you need it.” Check the gauge on the items on the stovetop. extinguisher regularly and when the needle goes “People just throw mail or any paper goods on top outside the green zone, dispose of it. of their stove as they walk through the house – that’s Sleep with bedroom doors closed, and if possible just a recipe for disaster,” Perry says. “If you’re not during a fire, close doors on your way out of the house cooking it, keep it off the stove.” as you follow your escape route, but, says Perry, don’t go out of your way to close doors as you exit. It’s more important to get out.

Do not charge devices, such as cell phones, unattended.

INTHE KITCHEN

LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES

“We wouldn’t want somebody to be charging lithium-ion batteries in their home at night when they go to bed or if they leave their home because they can (cause) very significant fires,” Perry says.

NFPA recommends charging devices with lithiumion batteries in ventilated areas, on noncombustible surfaces; not under pillows, in beds, or on soft-cushioned furniture. When storing lithium-ion batteries from multiple devices, it’s okay to store them together, but make sure they do not have contact with metal parts, Perry says.

SEASONAL HOME CLOSURES Make sure all items with motors — bathroom fans, ceiling fans — are turned off before leaving your home for the season, says Jon Wardwell, fire captain at the Bar Harbor Fire Department.

“Those do wear out over time, and a motor like that can heat up and we see them cause fires,” he says.

Work with a caretaker to have your home checked periodically. There are also fire systems that will alert homeowners if there’s smoke or heat in the house.

WOOD STOVES Make sure there are appropriate clearances around the stove and keep combustible materials away from the stove, says Wardwell. Have your chimney or flue pipe inspected and cleaned annually.

FIRE PREVENTION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • October 13, 2023

HOW TO KEEP PETS FROM CAUSING

HOME FIRES

COURTESY OF METRO CREATIVE

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ETS CAN BE EXCITABLE. THOUGH DOGS ANXIOUS TO GET OUTDOORS AND PLAY WITH THEIR OWNERS MAY BE THE FIRST IMAGE OF EXCITED PETS TO COME TO MIND, CATS ALSO CAN BE COMPELLED TO MOVE QUICKLY WHEN THEY HEAR SUDDEN, LOUD NOISES OR IF THEY’RE STARTLED BY VISITORS.

Excited pets can pose a safety hazard in homes where open flames are commonplace. In fact, the National Fire Protection Association estimates that around 1,000 home fires each year are started by pets. Pet owners can implement strategies recommended by the American Kennel Club and ADT Security Services to reduce the risk of fire in their homes.

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6 FIRE PREVENTION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • October 13, 2023

BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL AROUND AND MINDFUL OF OPEN FLAMES Pets can easily tip over candles and gain access to fireplaces when open flames are burning. Extinguish such flames whenever leaving a room, or ask someone to come in and look after pets so they are not left unattended around flames. Even candles on fireplace mantels pose a hazard as curious cats can leap onto mantelpieces and tip over the candles.

COVER STOVE KNOBS Stove knobs are another potential fire hazard in homes with curious pets. Knob covers prevent pets from accidentally turning on burners when no one is looking.

Pet owners who let their pets roam free around the house while they’re at work or out running errands should cover stove knobs before leaving their homes.

PURCHASE FLAMELESS CANDLES Flameless candles are a great option for pet owners whose pets are energetic or especially curious. Flameless candles are battery-powered and provide ambient light without an open flame.

CONSIDER CRATING PETS OR LIMITING ACCESS TO CERTAIN AREAS IF ANIMALS ARE NOT YET HOUSE-TRAINED Puppies and kittens are especially curious and eager to explore their new surroundings. That makes it easy for them to find trouble even in areas where pet owners think there isn’t any. Confine pets to crates during times of day when you plan to light candles or the fireplace or install gates to keep them out of rooms where they can access open flames.

EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN USING A GRILL AND/OR FIREPIT Charcoal grills and firepits are not indoors, but they can still pose a fire hazard outside. If necessary, keep pets indoors when grilling or sitting around the firepit.

If you want them to be outdoors at these times, prevent them from accessing areas where the grill and firepit are located.

FIRE PREVENTION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • October 13, 2023

SIGNS OF

electrical problems AT HOME COURTESY OF METRO CREATIVE

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OMEOWNERS KNOW THAT ALL SORTS OF ISSUES CAN AFFECT A HOME. ISSUES CAN RUN THE GAMUT FROM THE MERELY ANNOYING TO THE UNSAFE. ELECTRICAL ISSUES FALL INTO THE LATTER CATEGORY, POSING A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD IF LEFT UNCHECKED. According to the home safety experts at UL (formerly known as Underwriters Laboratories), learning to recognize warning signs of electrical wiring issues can greatly lower the risk of house fires. House fires pose a significant threat, as the Electrical Safety Foundation International notes that electrical malfunctions cause more than 50,000 house fires each year. UL indicates that the ma jority of those house fires can be prevented, and learning to recognize signs of electrical problems in a home is a key component of home fire prevention.

DIMMING OR FLICKERING LIGHTS The UL notes that light fixtures do not typically draw a substantial amount of power, so dimming or flickering lights is not often indicative of an issue with a fixture. Dimming or flickering lights could indicate that the circuit the lights are on is overburdened, most likely by large appliances sharing the circuit with the lights. If dimming and flickering lights are a problem, homeowners can speak to an electrician about moving the fixtures to another circuit or installing a new line specifically for ma jor appliances.

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8 FIRE PREVENTION • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • October 13, 2023

FREQUENTLY BLOWN FUSES OR TRIPPED BREAKERS According to UL, circuit breakers and fuses have a built-in fail-safe that is designed to prevent overloading.

Sometimes a tripped breaker is a result of an aging appliance. One way to detect that is to plug in the product to more than one outlet in the house. If each breaker trips, then the appliance is likely to blame.

However, if using the same outlet

ODORS Odor emanating from an outlet, fuse box, or breaker panel should be reported to an electrician immediately. The odor, which some homeowners indicate smells like fish, could be a result of an overheated circuit. Odor coming from an outlet, fuse box, or breaker panel could indicate a significant electrical issue, so homeowners should not hesitate to report this problem to an electrician. Odors can sometimes travel through HVAC systems as well, so homeowners should take note and call an electrician even if their outlets do not smell.

HOT OUTLETS/SWITCH PLATES Outlets and/or switch plates that are hot to the touch are another indicator of an electrical issue. UL notes that outlets that become hot even when nothing is plugged into them could be wired incorrectly. In such instances, an electrician will need to fix the issue, and in the meantime it may be best for homeowners to flip the breaker or remove the fuse for the outlet continues to trip the breaker regardless of what’s plugged into it, then the circuit requires the attention of an electrician.

ELECTRICAL ISSUES INCREASE THE RISK FOR HOME FIRES. FORTUNATELY, SUCH ISSUES ARE GENERALLY PREVENTABLE AND OFTEN EASILY REMEDIED

BY A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN.