Surviving a fire in your home

Every year about 358,500 fires occur in homes. Of those, 50 percent start in the kitchen, 7 percent in the bedroom, 6 percent are chimney fires, 4 percent start in the living room, and 3 percent start in the laundry room.

Protect your family with two everyday items: fire extinguishers and smoke alarms.

All homes should have working fire extinguishers. Did you know they expire? Check the expiration date every year and replace them or have them serviced when needed. As a general rule, extinguishers with metal handles can be recharged and those with plastic handles must be replaced.

Add this to your calendar: twice a year you should change your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide batteries!

Just like fire drills at schools and workplaces, your home fire drill needs to be set up and practiced. Be sure that:

You have a designated meeting spot in case of evacuation
A way for upstairs family members to escape safely
If your children are heavy sleepers, you’ve checked into “talking” fire detectors.