How to Protect Your Home from a Fire

An last week of smoke inhalation after a fire broke out inside her 2965 Mead St. home in Yorktown. More than 3,000 people die in home fires each year in the United States, according to the Unite States Fire Administration; mostly in homes without a smoke alarm. 

"Every fire is preventable," Yorktown Heights Fire Department Chief Martin McGannon said.

Nancy Lockhart, 77, is the second victim of a fire in the past 45 years in Yorktown. An elderly man, a Hickory Street resident, died in the 1990s in a fire caused by a small heating utensil. 

There were no smoke detectors inside Lockhart's house, McGannon said. There was clutter throughout the entire house, and things were piled up everywhere. It was the debris what caused an extension cord to overheat, essentially sparking the fire.

A working, properly installed smoke alarm is a necessary safety precaution in every home.

McGannon said people should inspect their smoke detectors every month and change the batteries every six months. In addition, people should make sure appliances are properly installed and working. Heating appliances should be cleared of any debris, and everyone should have an emergency evacuation plan.

"People have to be safe in what they do and how they maintain their residence," he said.

The most popular mistake people make is misusing items, like candles, for example. 

Tom Olshanski, spokesperson for the U.S. Fire Administration, said all fires are preventable. When a fatal fire occurs, it is a teachable moment so that another life is not lost.

"It's a great time to look at what people can do to prevent fires," he said. 

Today, there are many more things made out of plastic in people's homes, which burn quicker, have a higher temperature and produce toxins and smoke, Olshanski said. People must have an evacuation plan in case of fire and their priority should be to get out of the house as opposed to trying to put out the fire. If firefighters arrive to the house and someone is still inside, he said, they are risking their lives by going inside. 

The USFA has fire safety facts for several types of fires. Here are fire facts addressing seniors and smoke alarms:

Stop the fire before it starts:

• A fire can easily happen in the kitchen, so be extra careful when cooking. Remember not to leave food unattended and don’t wear loose clothing, like shirts with big sleeves, when cooking.
• Never use the stove or oven to heat your home.
• Double-check the kitchen to be sure the oven and all appliances are turned off before going to bed or leaving the house.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Replace mattresses made prior to the 2007 Federal Mattress Flammability Standard.
• Keep flammable materials, like drapes and clothing, at least 3 feet away from your heater.
• Never overload outlets or extension cords.

Be prepared for a fire:

• One of the best ways to protect yourself and your family is to have a working smoke alarm, called a Dual Sensor Smoke Alarm," that can sound fast for both a fire that has flames and a smoky fire that has fumes without flames. 
• Prepare an escape plan and practice it often. Make sure everyone in your family knows at least two escape routes from their bedrooms.

Follow these easy tips on smoke alarms:

1. Place a smoke alarm on the ceiling of every level of your home and outside bedrooms. Children and older people can sleep through the loud sound of a smoke alarm. Make sure your escape plan includes someone that can help children and others wake up immediately to escape from the home.
2. If you keep your bedroom doors closed, place a smoke alarm on the ceiling of each bedroom.
3. Check smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button.
4. Never take smoke alarm batteries out to put into other items like games or remote controls.
5. Teach children what the smoke alarm sounds like and what to do when they hear the alarm sound.
6. If there is a fire, leave the home right away by crawling low under the smoke and never go back inside.
7. If smoke from cooking makes the alarm sound, press the "hush" button, if your alarm has one. You can also turn on the kitchen fan, open a window or wave a towel near the alarm until it stops making the sound. Never take the battery out of the alarm.
8. Most alarms need a new battery at least once a year. Some smoke alarms have batteries that last for up to 10 years. If your smoke alarm is more than 10 years old, replace it with a new alarm and a new battery.
9. If you rent, talk to your landlord about placing a working smoke alarm in your home. You still need to buy a new battery at least once a year for the alarm.