LANSING, Mich. — Governor Whitmer has named October as Fire Prevention Month in Michigan.
The governor is urging families to create a home fire escape plan, practice it and take steps to prevent fires in your home.
A new report says that most fire deaths happen overnight, especially when those fires begin in a living room or bedroom.
Experts say people have as little as two to three minutes to get out of the house from the time the smoke alarm goes off.
A fire escape plan is crucial to saving the lives.
Here are tips from the Capitol on how to keep your home fire-safe:
Install smoke alarms on every level of the home and inside every sleeping area.
Check the alarm by pushing the test button every month.
Never smoke in bed; keep lighters and cigarettes away from children.
Never leave cooking unattended.
Keep the stove and burners clean and free of grease while you cook to avoid the potential for a small kitchen fire that can get out of hand quickly.
Never leave candles unattended; place them in a sturdy holder on uncluttered surfaces, keeping them at least a foot away from anything that can burn, including curtains, bedding, furniture, and carpeting.
Have fireplaces, chimneys, wood stoves, and coal stoves inspected annually by a professional - and cleaned if necessary.
Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended.
Use caution when using space heaters; never leave them unattended, keep them at least three feet away from anything that can burn, and place them on a hard-nonflammable surface, like a surface, like a ceramic tile floor.
Replace frayed extension cords; do not overload extension cords.
Never overload electrical outlets; plug only one heat-producing appliance into an outlet at a time.
Major appliances should not be plugged in using extension cords and plug strips. Plug appliances directly into the wall receptacle. Same goes with space heaters.
Keep clothes and other items three feet away from gas water heaters.
Clean the dryer lint screen after each load - lint is extremely flammable.
Have fire extinguishers in the home and know how to use them.
Make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily and are not blocked by clutter.
Sleep with your bedroom door closed to limit fire spread. Closing the door before dozing can save lives by reducing toxic smoke levels and slowing down the spread of fire and smoke into sleeping areas.
Make sure you close the bedroom door behind you if you escape a fire by going out a window. This slows down the spread of fire and smoke.
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