The very thought of a house fire creates anxiety for most people. And while you have homeowners insurance, nothing beats a little safety prevention, right? The sad thing is, this time of year when cold weather falls faster than you can snap your fingers, we see an increase in home fires. In this article, we will discuss some fire safety tips for your home.

1. Smoke Detectors – November 1 is a helpful reminder to change the batteries in your smoke detector, whether you need it or not! By the way, if you hear a screeching sound from your smoke detector, that means the battery is dead and needs to be replaced. Don’t make the mistake of unplugging your smoke detector to stop the noise. Remember that chirping is a warning that could save your baby’s life.

2. Supervised Smoke Detectors: You may be thinking that I already have a smoke detector. Smoke detectors that are connected to 120-volt electrical panels will make a loud noise in the event of a fire, but will NOT call the fire station if you are out of town or rendered unconscious by breathing smoke. A monitored smoke detector or heat detector can be added to your existing security system. Expect to pay around $ 110 to install one. Shop around to find one that doesn’t charge you additional monitoring fees. Call your insurance agent and inform them about this so they can give you an additional discount if available.

3. Fire extinguishers – As inexpensive as they are, this year you should buy one for your home and another as a gift for your family. Keep a minimum of one in your home. Keep it next to the kitchen, as this is where most fires start. Insist that it is rated for grease fires.

4. Sprinkler Systems – Add a sprinkler system to automatically shut off when there is a fire. Your insurance company will lower your premiums when it does.

5. Kitchen fires: Never leave food cooking on the stove unsupervised. Instruct your children about the dangers of this. Don’t forget the barbecue grills too. Keep them away from the sides of their houses. You won’t believe how quickly a vinyl siding home can melt or even catch fire if it’s too close to your grill.

6. Use of candles: be careful when lighting candles. Don’t leave them unattended. Teach your little ones the dangers of playing with candles and matches.

7. Portable heaters: Portable heaters can remove the chill from the air. However, they should NEVER be used with an extension cord. This is a fire waiting to happen. Also remember not to plug 2 heaters in the same room as they will trip the circuit breaker or compromise the old wiring.

8. Electrical fires: Worn extension cords top the list for starting electrical fires. Once a year, you should visibly check all extension cords for kinks and fraying. Throw them away immediately. To help prevent this, a law was passed stating that all bedrooms in new homes are now protected with arc-fault circuit interrupters. These breakers detect an electrical arc or spark and immediately turn off the light in the outlet. This will save thousands of lives a year. You may want to seriously think about installing them in your home if you don’t have them now. Contact an electrician to do so.

9. Fireplaces: NEVER use gasoline to help start a fire. (Don’t laugh, many people get burns all over their bodies doing this every year.) Make sure the flue is open and don’t leave fires unattended. Lastly, don’t forget to have a specialist clean the chimney to avoid sudden fires.

We hope these helpful fire safety tips help you protect yourself and your loved ones this cold season.