ARKANSAS, USA — In light of National Fire Prevention Week, the Rogers Fire Department is sharing pet fire safety tips from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
According to NFPA, pets or wild animals have a part in starting about 750 home fires per year that involve cooking equipment, fireplaces and chimneys, space heaters, lamps, bulbs, wiring, and candles.
Here are some safety tips provided to help prevent pet fires:
- Keep pets away from stoves and countertops. Pets are curious and can bump into, turn on, or knock over cooking equipment.
- Always use a metal or heat-tempered glass screen on a fireplace and keep it in place.
- Keep pets away from a chimney's outside vents. Have a "pet-free zone" of at least three feet away from the fireplace. Glass doors and screens can stay dangerously hot for several hours after the fire goes out.
- Consider battery-operated flameless candles. They can look and smell like real candles.
- Some pets are chewers. Watch pets to make sure they don't chew through electrical cords, and have any electrical cord problems checked by a professional.
Smoke Alarms:
- Have working smoke alarms on every level of the home. Test your smoke alarms at least once a month.
- If the smoke alarm sounds, get out and stay out.
- Never go back inside for pets in a fire. Tell firefighters if your pet is trapped.
The NFPA also says to make sure pets are included in your family's wildfire evacuation plan. They suggest pet owners build an evacuation kit for each pet in the household and ensure each kit is a size and weight that can be quickly and easily loaded into a vehicle when packing to evacuate.