Fire Safety Tips - Central County Fire Department

Central County Fire Department is committed to educating the public in simple ways to stay safe. We offer a variety of programs to educate our communities. Review the safety tips below for more information on how you can be fire-smart. Fire Safety information is also available in other languages.

Fall Fire Safety Tips

CCFD encourages everyone to think about good fire safety practices to keep you and your loved ones safe and sound.

 Fireplace and Home Fire Safety

More than one-third of Americans use fireplaces, wood stoves, and other fuel-fired appliances as primary heat sources in their homes. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the fire risks when heating with wood and solid fuels.

Heating fires account for 36% of residential home fires in rural areas every year. Often these fires are due to creosote buildup in chimneys and stovepipes. All home heating systems require regular maintenance to function safely and efficiently.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) encourages you to practice the following fire safety steps to keep those home fires safely burning. Remember, fire safety is your personal responsibility …Fire Stops With You!

Keep Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Clean

Have your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleaned annually by a certified chimney specialist

Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations and flammable materials

Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces. Leave glass doors open while burning a fire

Install stovepipe thermometers to help monitor flue temperatures

Keep air inlets on wood stoves open, and never restrict air supply to fireplaces, otherwise, you may cause creosote buildup that could lead to a chimney fire

Use fire-resistant materials on walls around wood stoves

Safely Burn Fuels

Never use flammable liquids to start a fire

Use only seasoned hardwood. Soft, moist wood accelerates creosote buildup

Build small fires that burn completely and produce less smoke

Never burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in your fireplace or woodstove

When building a fire, place logs at the rear of the fireplace on an adequate supporting grate

Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house

Soak hot ashes in water and place them in a metal container outside your home

Protect the Outside of Your Home

Stack firewood outdoors at least 30 feet away from your home

Keep the roof clear of leaves, pine needles and other debris

Cover the chimney with a mesh screen spark arrester

Remove branches hanging above the chimney, flues or vents

Protect the Inside of Your Home

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home. Test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Consider installing the new long-life smoke alarms. Remember to call us when you need help checking your detector in those high ceilings.

Provide proper venting systems for all heating equipment

Extend all vent pipes at least three feet above the roof

Fire Safety While on Vacation

Wherever you plan to stay on vacation:

Hotel/Motel/AirBnB:

Select a location with fire sprinklers and smoke/carbon monoxide alarms

Check for an evacuation map for two ways out

Motor home/Camper/RV:

- Make sure working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are installed

For more seasonal safety tips, visit: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/

Source: USFA

Monthly Fire Safety Newsletter:

December 2024

CCFD TV

Fire is Everyone’s Fight	Fire Won’t Wait, Plan Your Escape!	Firefighters Say: Close Before You Doze!

Fire is everyone’s fight! Practice fire-safe cooking and install and maintain smoke alarms. Did you know? Three out of five home fire deaths result from fires in properties without working smoke alarms More than one-third (38 percent) of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms are present. The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms. Source: nfpa.org	Your ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning. Do you have a fire escape plan? Big thanks to Engine 32-B: Captain Bunnell, Firefighter/Paramedic Eversole, and Firefighter Houser for this fun and informative video. For more information, visit fpw.org.	Close Before You Doze – See the dramatic difference a door can make. Because of synthetic materials, furniture, and construction, fire spreads faster than ever before. Closing doors helps stop the spread of fire. ‘Close Before You Doze’ focuses on straightforward actions and simple behavioral changes which can provide critical help in delaying the spread of fire. This doesn’t require major effort or going out and buying anything.’ -Stephen Kerber Director, UL FSRI Closing your bedroom door while you sleep could save your life. Please watch this informative video on how quickly smoke and fire can spread. To learn more about the Close Before You Doze program, please visit the Underwriters Laboratories’ website at https://closeyourdoor.org/.

Fire is Everyone’s Fight

Fire Won’t Wait, Plan Your Escape!

Firefighters Say:
Close Before You Doze!

Fire is everyone’s fight! Practice fire-safe cooking and install and maintain smoke alarms.

Did you know?

Three out of five home fire deaths result from fires in properties without working smoke alarms
More than one-third (38 percent) of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms are present.
The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms.

Source: nfpa.org

Your ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning. Do *you* have a fire escape plan?

Big thanks to Engine 32-B: Captain Bunnell, Firefighter/Paramedic Eversole, and Firefighter Houser for this fun and informative video.

For more information, visit fpw.org.

Close Before You Doze – See the dramatic difference a door can make.

Because of synthetic materials, furniture, and construction, fire spreads faster than ever before. Closing doors helps stop the spread of fire.

‘Close Before You Doze’ focuses on straightforward actions and simple behavioral changes which can provide critical help in delaying the spread of fire. This doesn’t require major effort or going out and buying anything.’ -Stephen Kerber Director, UL FSRI

Closing your bedroom door while you sleep could save your life. Please watch this informative video on how quickly smoke and fire can spread.

To learn more about the Close Before You Doze program, please visit the Underwriters Laboratories’ website at https://closeyourdoor.org/.