Insurance Tips > Fire Prevention
Preparation:
- Install smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. Test them once a month and replace batteries in the spring and fall when you adjust your clock time.
- Plan two escape routes
- Practice fire drills using a smoke detector and both escape routes
- Store important documents in a fire-proof box or airtight appliance such as the refrigerator
Prevention:
- Have your heating and electrical systems checked by a professional to be sure they are properly maintained and in good working order
- Have your fireplace and chimney inspected for soot and creosote build-up
- Follow instructions on appliances and heating units
- Take care not to overload electrical outlets
Escape:
- Leave your home before calling for help
- Feel each door for heat before opening it
- Crawl close to the floor to limit smoke intake
Especially for woodstoves --
Preparation:
- Open the dampers before starting a fire in a wood stove
- Vent your stove properly and insulate vent from flammable materials
- Use paper and kindling wood to ignite a fire. Avoid using lighter fluid, kerosene, or gasoline.
- Keep dry wood away from the stove
- Slow burning fires can create creosote and soot problems. Small hot fires are more efficient.
Maintenance:
- Clean the ashes from your stove every week during the heating season. Dispose of ashes in a metal container with a lid and store away from your home and combustibles.
- Inspect your pipes and connections monthly for creosote and soot build-up
Warning signs:
- Build-up of creosote (dripping from the base of the chimney or staining of the outer chimney shell)
- Sluggish draft (smoke spilling out when the woodstove door is opened)
- Corrosion of the outer shell of a factory built chimney
- Deterioration of the brickwork of a masonry chimney
Good online resources: