Preventing Bedroom Fires

More than 4,000 Americans die each year in fires and more than 20,000 are injured. Many of them might be alive today if they had only had the information they needed to avoid a disaster. The U.S. Fire Administration offers the following life-saving tips could make a big difference for you and your community.

Did you know?

Eighty-two percent of all fire deaths occur in the home.
The bedroom is the most common room in the home where electrical fires start.
Deaths due to bedroom fires are particularly preventable.
Having a working smoke alarm reduces one's chance of dying in a fire by nearly a half.

Following these simple fire safety tips can increase your survival rate dramatically.

Preventing Bedroom Fires Life-Saving Tips

Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home. Test smoke alarm batteries every month and change them at least once a year. Consider installing a 10-year lithium battery-powered smoke alarm, which is sealed so it cannot be tampered with or opened.
Never smoke in bed.
Replace mattresses made prior to the 2007 Federal Mattress Flammability Standard.
Keep lighters, matches and other ignitables in a secured drawer or cabinet out of reach of children. Children are one of the highest risk groups for death in residential fires.
Keep lit candles away from bedding, curtains, papers and anything else that can ignite easily.
Do not run electrical cords under your bed or trap them against a wall where heat can build up. Avoid overloading extension cords.
Take extra care when using portable heaters. Keep bedding, clothes, curtains and other flammable items at least three feet away from space heaters.
Only use lab-approved electric blankets and warmers. Check to make sure the cords are not frayed.
Make sure everyone in your family knows at least two escape routes from their bedrooms and practice these often.
In case of a fire, crawl or stay low to the ground, beneath the smoke, and use the escape plan you have worked out. Get out and stay out.