Burns and Fire-Related Injury Prevention

Your Home

• Interactive Fire Safety House
  Explore this virtual house full of fire safety tips!

 Kitchen

• Unattended cooking is the #1 cause of home fires in Alaska.
• Keep loose sleeves and long hair away from burners.
• Grease burns!  Use a lid or large pan to smother a  grease fire and turn off the burner. Don't use water to put out a grease fire.

• Keep the handles of pots and pans turned sideways on the stove to avoid pulling the pan onto the floor.

• Teach children how to cook safely.    

Bedroom        

• Most common room where electrical fires begin. Children playing with matches often start fires in bedrooms and closets. Most fatal fires occur at night when people are sleeping.
• NEVER smoke in bed. Smoking materials are the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States.  Learn more about Alaska's new Fire Cigarette Law. 
• Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything that burns.
• Mattresses made after 2007 meet the Federal Mattress Flammability Standard and are safer.
• Don't trap electrical cords next to a wall where they can build up heat.
• Turn electric blankets and heating pads off before you get out of bed.

Bathroom

• Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children.
• Blow out candles when you leave the room.
• Use large deep ashtrays if someone smokes.  
• Remove plug-in deodorizers when they are empty.
• Learn more about water temperature and avoiding burns.

Living Room

• Learn more about wood, kerosene and space heater safety.
• Lit candles are small fires. Treat them as such.  Never leave them unattended.
• The 5 most dangerous days for candle fires are Christmas, Christmas Eve, New Year's Day, New Year's Eve and Halloween.
• Use deep trays/holders for candles to catch hot melting wax of candles and for smoking.
• Many electrical fires are due to overloading electrical outlets, overloading extension cord ratings and running cords under rugs. Unplug appliances when not in use. This will also save electricity costs.
• Extension cords are designed for temporary use only.
• Keep the air vents to electronic devices clear, e.g., computers, as they build up considerable heat.

Garage

• The average garage or storage shed contains between three and 10 gallons of hazardous waste. 
• This includes supplies for gardening, vehicle maintenance, grilling, home maintenance and lawn care. 
• If your garage is connected to your house, keep the (fire-rated) door closed.
• Nationally, one in every 8 fire deaths is caused by a car fire.  Get away from burning vehicles because tires, batteries and air bags can explode and toxic gases are emitted from many burning parts of a vehicle.

Yard

• Learn more about Fire-safe Landscaping.
• Keep firewood stacks at least 30 feet from your house.
• Eliminate small trees and bushes growing under large trees.
• Keep shrubs at least 20 feet from structures.
• Keep all flammables in approved containers.
• Have water or an extinguisher near-by if burning in your yard.