← Residential Fire Safety: Before, During, and After

Lesson 2: Before a Fire: Prevent It

The most common causes of home fires and the simple habits that stop them.

Lesson 02
Before a fire Part 1 of 2: prevention about 9 minutes
Residential Fire Safety

Before a fire: prevent it

The handful of causes behind most home fires, and the habits that stop them.

Lesson
02 of 05
Focus
Prevention
Lesson 02 · Prevent it
Cause 1 · Cooking
EdQuest
00 · 00
Leading cause · cooking
Never cook unattended
Cooking is the leading cause of home fires
Definition
Stay in the kitchen when you fry, grill, or broil. If you must leave, even for a moment, turn the burner off. Keep a lid nearby to smother a pan fire.
In the room
Set a timer as a reminder that the stove or oven is on, especially if you are simmering, baking, or roasting and leave the room. - Keep flammables three feet from the stove
Lesson 02 · Prevent it
Cause 2 · Heating
EdQuest
00 · 00
Leading cause · heating
Give heat three feet
Space heaters and the one-meter rule
Definition
Keep anything that can burn at least three feet (about one meter) from space heaters, fireplaces, and furnaces. Turn portable heaters off whenever you leave the room or go to bed.
In the room
Plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet, never into a power strip or extension cord, which can overheat. - Have chimneys and furnaces inspected yearly
Lesson 02 · Prevent it
Causes 3-5 · Electrical, smoking, candles
EdQuest
00 · 00
Common mistakes · 4 of them

What starts fires, and what to do instead

What starts fires
What to do instead
01 · Electrical Overloading outlets and running cords under rugs or across doorways.
Instead Use one heat-producing appliance per outlet. Replace cracked or frayed cords. Never hide cords under rugs.
02 · Smoking Smoking indoors or in bed, and dropping butts that are still warm.
Instead Smoke outside. Use a deep, sturdy ashtray and douse butts with water before discarding.
03 · Candles Leaving candles burning unattended or near curtains and bedding.
Instead Use battery LED candles, or keep flames in sight, away from anything that burns, and out before you leave or sleep.
04 · Clutter Storing boxes and laundry near the furnace, dryer, or stove.
Instead Keep heat sources clear. Clean the dryer lint filter after every load.
Lesson 02 · Prevent it
A monthly walk-through
EdQuest
00 · 00
Routine · 4 checks

A five-minute monthly safety walk

01
of 04
Kitchen
Clear the stovetop
Move towels, packaging, and clutter away from burners. Confirm the area is clean of grease buildup.
Checkpoint · Stove clear
02
of 04
Outlets
Check cords and plugs
Look for overloaded outlets, warm plates, and cracked or pinched cords. Replace anything damaged.
Checkpoint · No overloads
03
of 04
Heat
Clear three feet
Confirm nothing flammable sits within three feet of heaters, the furnace, or the fireplace.
Checkpoint · Clearance kept
04
of 04
Dryer
Clean the lint
Empty the lint filter and check that the vent is not blocked. Lint is highly flammable.
Checkpoint · Lint cleared
Transcript

The safest fire is the one that never starts. In this lesson we cover the most common causes of home fires and the small habits that prevent them. Cooking, heating, electrical faults, smoking, and candles account for the large majority.

Transcript

Cooking is the number one cause of home fires, and the number one cause of cooking fires is unattended cooking. If you leave the kitchen, turn off the burner. Keep anything that can burn, like towels, packaging, and curtains, away from the stovetop.

Transcript

Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires, especially in winter. Give space heaters at least three feet of clearance from anything that can burn, plug them directly into the wall, never a power strip, and turn them off when you leave the room or go to sleep.

Transcript

Electrical, smoking, and candle fires are common and very preventable. Here are the most frequent mistakes and what to do instead. Overloaded outlets, smoking indoors, and unattended candles cause fires that simple habits would have prevented.

Transcript

Build a quick monthly safety habit. Walk your home and check the four things that prevent most fires. It takes only a few minutes and catches problems before they start.