Practice Fire Safety

Red Cross volunteers have been responding to numerous house fires around the state of Utah! While our volunteers are on scene within two hours providing those affected by fire with immediate essential items like food, clothes and shelter our goal is also prevention. So I wanted to include in this blog post ways to prevent a fire from starting in your home:

If you're like me and love to cook, I highly recommend practicing cooking safety. So when I'm in the kitchen this Sunday mixing up a delicious Super Bowl menu for the Big Game, I plan to stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling or broiling food. If you do have to leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove. Check your food regularly and use a timer to remind you that food is cooking.

This freezing winter weather has surely caused many of you to pull out the portable heaters in your office, sleeping area, living room, etc. In order to prevent your heater from starting a fire make sure you turn it off when you leave the room!
While the Red Cross does not endorse smoking, if you choose to do so, make sure your butts are out and you never smoke in bed.

And last but not least (check out additional Red Cross safety tips here) talk to your children, family members and loved ones about the dangers of playing with fire.