6 Things Firefighters Would Never Do in Their Homes

“Home is where the heart is,” — but it’s also where our biggest risk for exposure to health harms related to fires arises, according to Susan McKelvey, the communications manager for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

The overall number of home fires in the U.S. has generally declined over the past 40 years, but home fires can and do still happen. About 330,000 home fires occur annually, and about 75 percent of fire deaths and injuries occur inside our homes, McKelvey says.

Due to the materials used to construct our spaces, today’s home fires burn faster than ever, McKelvey confirms: “In a typical home fire, you may have as little as 2 minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds,” she says.

Since time is of the essence, and because none of us want to be put in the situation of having to overcome a house fire, we compared notes with McKelvey and three career firefighters to learn about the risky habits they avoid — and what to do instead. Read on for essential intel about how to prevent and prepare for potential home fires.

Smoke alarms are your first line of defense in a home fire. But just because they’re installed doesn’t mean you have automatic protection: “The majority of home fire deaths occur in homes where the smoke alarms aren’t working properly or they’re missing altogether,” McKelvey adds.

Make sure there is at least one smoke alarm on every level of the home, in each bedroom, and near all sleeping areas. Test these monthly, and replace the batteries each time you change the clocks, suggests Ken Desmond, 55-year veteran firefighter in Bath, Maine and the president of the Maine State Federation of Firefighters. If you hear a chirping noise, this is usually a sign the battery needs to be replaced sooner, says Bob Patterson, 33-year veteran firefighter, former fire chief, and assistant state fire marshal for Lincoln Volunteer Fire Company in Lincoln, Vermont. (Patterson tells us that the majority of fatal fires he’s investigated are in homes with no detector or where detectors have been removed or disconnected.)

The firefighters all verified that they’d never live in a home without smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, or carbon monoxide detectors. Furnaces, generators, cars, grills, power washers, and other appliances can generate carbon monoxide if the carbon-based fuel is not fully combusted.

“Homes are constructed tightly allowing carbon monoxide to stay within the home. You can't see, smell or taste carbon monoxide, which is why we call it a silent killer,” Patterson says.

Cooking is by far the leading cause of home fires. In fact, 49 percent of all home fires involve cooking equipment, and unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires, McKelvey tells us.

If you're whipping up a meal on a stove or a grill, Patterson says that it’s vital to stay alert. This is especially necessary when employing higher-risk cooking strategies, like deep-frying.

If needed, set a timer to remind yourself that the appliance is on. Or follow the lead of Ken Desmond, 55-year veteran firefighter in Bath, Maine and the president of the Maine State Federation of Firefighters. If he steps away from the range or grill, Desmond brings a kitchen towel or cooking utensil with him as a reminder that the task is still in progress — and the heat is on.

Be sure to keep all clothing, towels, oven mitts and tools at a safe distance from the heat source, the firefighters say.

Heating equipment is the second-leading cause of home fires, and space heaters are the biggest culprit, McKelvey notes.

Never use an oven to heat your space, have your chimney professionally cleaned and inspected yearly, and keep space heaters at least 36 inches away from combustibles, Desmond says. Each one of the fire pros is sure to unplug their space heaters before leaving a room or going to sleep.

And any time you put a fireplace to use, be sure to keep at least 3 to 5 feet of distance, and never leave your home until the flame is fully extinguished.

Overcharging of electrical devices with batteries can easily lead to overheating, Patterson warns. Plus, plugging in an appliance when it’s not in use can create a power vampire. Patterson and Desmond never leave for vacation without unplugging rechargeable tools or devices, including their toaster, microwave, coffee maker, and electric lawn mowers.

When it comes time to power-up your phone, laptop, and tablet, “always use the cables that come with the product, and charge it in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions,” McKelvey says. “Always charge your device on a hard surface, rather than under or on a pillow, on a bed, or couch,” since the devices can warm up as they charge. Then once they’re at 100 percent, unplug the cable ASAP, the experts suggest.

A disorganized space can affect your ability to escape a fire and may impede fire department access, Patterson warns. For this reason, Jay Jones, a third-generation firefighter for the Ellendale Volunteer Fire Company in Ellendale, Delaware, does a daily check to “make sure all hallways, doors, and window exits are clear of clutter. In the event of a fire, visibility may be near zero, so it’s important to have an unobstructed path to the outside,” Jones tells us. Not only is this crucial for your safety and escape strategy, but “keeping paths clear also helps firefighters do our jobs faster and limit property damage,” Jones adds.

Clutter is one thing, and hoarding is another, Patterson says: “Fortunately, this happens in a small percentage of homes I’ve inspected, but it still occurs. As an inspector and investigator, there has been an increased number of homes over the past 30 years where folks essentially have one pathway through the home. One fatal fire I investigated the owner had backed themselves out of the primary residence into a small entryway. Items were chest high throughout, and we could not walk through the house.”

Before you go to bed each night, take a peek around for anything that can be quickly organized along the clearest path out of your home.