Replace all mattresses made before the 1973 Federal Mattress Flammability Standard. Mattresses made since then are required by law to be safer.
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. And 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, stay low to the ground, beneath the smoke, and use the escape plan you have worked out. Get out and stay out.
Install at least one working smoke alarm on each level of your home and in halls outside bedrooms. Test the batteries every month and change them at least once a year.
