Home Safety

Gasoline and Propane Safety

The leading equipment involved in LP-gas home structure fires is a grill, hibachi, or barbeque.

Propane Safety Tips

Handle any propane-powered equipment cautiously and always follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Cylinder tanks for equipment such as stoves and ovens must be located outside of the home.
Never store or use propane gas cylinders larger than one pound inside the home.
Never operate a propane-powered gas grill inside the home.
Have propane gas equipment inspected periodically by a professional for possible leaks or malfunctioning parts.
Carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions when lighting a pilot.
If you smell a strong odor of gas, leave the area immediately and call the fire department from outside the home.

Gasoline Safety Tips

Keep gasoline out of children's sight and reach. Children should never handle gasoline.
If a fire does start while handling gasoline, do not attempt to extinguish the fire or stop the flow of gasoline. Leave the area immediately, and call for help.
Do not use or store gasoline near possible ignition sources (i.e., electrical devices, oil- or gas-fired appliances, or any other device that contains a pilot flame or a spark).
Store gasoline outside the home (i.e., in a garage or lawn shed) in a tightly closed metal or plastic container approved by an independent testing laboratory or the local or state fire authorities. Never store gasoline in glass containers or non-reusable plastic containers (i.e., milk jugs).
Store only enough gasoline necessary to power equipment and let machinery cool before refueling it.
Never use gasoline inside the home or as a cleaning agent.
Clean up spills promptly and discard clean-up materials properly.
Do not smoke when handling gasoline.
Never use gasoline in place of kerosene.
Use caution when fueling automobiles. Do not get in and out of the automobile when fueling. Although rare, an electrical charge on your body could spark a fire, especially during the dry winter months.
Only fill portable gasoline containers outdoors. Place the container on the ground before filling and never fill containers inside a vehicle or in the bed of a pick-up truck.
Follow all manufacturers instructions when using electronic devices (those with batteries or connected to an electrical outlet) near gasoline.

Dryers and Washing Machine Fires

Between 2010-2014, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 15,970 home fires involving clothes dryers or washing machines each year. These fires resulted in annual losses estimated at 13 deaths, 440 injuries, and $238 million in property damage.

Facts and figures

Clothes dryers accounted for 92% of the fires; washing machines 4%, and washer and dryer combinations accounted for 5%.
The leading factor contributing to the ignition of home fires involving clothes dryers was failure to clean, accounting for one-third (33%) of dryer fires.
A mechanical or electrical failure or malfunction was involved in the vast majority of home fires involving washing machines.
Fires involving clothes dryers usually started with the ignition of something that was being dried or was a byproduct (such as lint) of drying, while washing machine fires usually involved the ignition of some part of the appliance.

Clothes Dryer Safety

Have your dryer installed and serviced by a professional.
Do not use the dryer without a lint filter.
Make sure you clean the lint filter before or after each load of laundry. Remove lint that has collected around the drum.
Rigid or flexible metal venting material should be used to sustain proper air flow and drying time.
Make sure the air exhaust vent pipe is not restricted and the outdoor vent flap will open when the dryer is operating. Once a year, or more often if you notice that it is taking longer than normal for your clothes to dry, clean lint out of the vent pipe or have a dryer lint removal service do it for you.
Keep dryers in good working order. Gas dryers should be inspected by a qualified professional to make sure that the gas line and connection are intact and free of leaks.
Make sure the right plug and outlet are used and that the machine is connected properly.
Follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions and don’t overload your dryer.
Turn the dryer off if you leave home or when you go to bed.

Hoarding and Fire Safety

Many fire departments are experiencing serious fires, injuries, and deaths as a result of compulsive hoarding behavior. The excessive accumulation of materials in homes poses a significant threat to firefighters fighting fires and responding to other emergencies in these homes and to residents and neighbors. Often, the local fire department will be contacted to help deal with this serious issue. Since studies suggest that between three and five percent of the population are compulsive hoarders, fire departments must become familiar with this issue and how to effectively handle it.

Why Hoarding Increases Fire Risks

Cooking is unsafe if flammable items are close to the stove or oven.
Heating units may be too close to things that can burn. They might also be placed on unstable surfaces. If a heater tips over into a pile, it can cause a fire.
Electrical wiring may be old or worn from the weight of piles. Pests could chew on wires. Damaged wires can start fires.
Open flames from smoking materials or candles in a home with excess clutter are very dangerous.
Blocked pathways and exits may hinder escape from a fire.

How Hoarding Impacts First Responders

Hoarding puts first responders in harm’s way.
Firefighters cannot move swiftly through a home filled with clutter.
Responders can be trapped in a home when exits are blocked. They can be injured by objects falling from piles.
The weight of the stored items, especially if water is added to put out a fire, can lead to building collapse.
Fighting fires is very risky in a hoarding home. It is hard to enter the home to provide medical care. The clutter impedes the search and rescue of people and pets.

Information source: National Fire Prevention Association