CAL FIRE Urges Californians to
Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries
Sacramento – With the switch to Daylight saving time this Sunday, March 14, CAL FIRE and the Office of the State Fire Marshal are reminding all California residents to change their smoke alarm batteries when setting their clocks.
Every year, lives are lost due to inoperative smoke alarms. More than 66 percent of home fire deaths that occurred between 2003 and 2006 were in homes without a working smoke alarm, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The changing of the clocks provides an ideal reminder to change your smoke alarm batteries at least twice a year.
“With proper maintenance and regular testing, smoke alarms play a pivotal role in the early notification of a fire emergency,” said Chief Tonya Hoover, acting state fire marshal. “By taking just a few seconds each year to replace the battery, you can truly make a difference in protecting your family and your home.”
CAL FIRE has the following tips on smoke alarms:

Test smoke alarms once a month.
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Replace batteries in all smoke alarms twice a year.
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Don’t “borrow” or remove batteries from smoke alarms even temporarily.
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Regularly vacuum or dust smoke alarms to keep them working properly.
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Replace smoke alarms every 10 years.
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Don’t paint over smoke alarms.
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Practice family fire drills so everyone knows what to do if the smoke alarm goes off. Smoke Alarms Save Lives Fact Sheet
Change Your Clocks & Check Your Smoke Alarm Fact Sheet
Find more information visit the CAL FIRE Web site at www.fire.ca.gov.

With cold winter weather comes an increasing risk for chimney fires.

By KATU.com Staff and News Sources

PORTLAND, Ore. - Story Published: Dec 15, 2009 at 3:53 PM PST

With cold winter weather comes an increasing risk for chimney fires.

In the past few months, the McMinnville Fire Department alone has responded to a half dozen chimney fires, "most of which started due to a lack of proper maintenance," reports McMinnville Fire Marshal Eric McMullen.

The McMinnville Fire Department and the Chimney Safety Institute of America offer the following tips for preventing chimney fires and keeping carbon monoxide out of your home:

• Get an annual chimney check. Have chimneys inspected annually, and cleaned as necessary. This reduces the risk of fires and carbon monoxide poisonings due to creosote buildup or obstructions in the chimneys.
• Keep the roof clear. Keep tree branches and leaves at least 15 feet away from the top of the chimney.
• Install a chimney cap. This keeps debris and animals out of the chimney.
• Choose the right fuel. For burning firewood in wood stoves or fireplaces, choose well seasoned wood that has been split for a minimum of six months to one year and stored in a covered and elevated location. Never burn Christmas trees or treated wood in your fireplace or wood stove.
• Build it right. Place firewood or fire logs at the rear of the fireplace on a supporting grate. To start the fire, use kindling or a commercial firelighter. Never use flammable liquids.
• Keep the hearth area clear. Combustible material too close to the fireplace, or to a wood stove, could easily catch fire. Keep furniture at least 36 inches away from the hearth.
• Use a fireplace screen. Use metal mesh or a screen in front of the fireplace to catch flying sparks that could ignite or burn holes in the carpet or flooring.
• Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Supervise children and pets closely around wood stoves and fireplaces.

McMullen recommends that open masonry fireplaces should be cleaned as soon as the soot is 1/4 of an inch thick. Brick fireplaces should be cleaned even sooner if the soot forms a glossy, rock-like substance known as glaze.

McMullen said factory-built fireplaces should be cleaned "when any appreciable buildup occurs." Even the smallest level, he said, "is considered to be enough fuel buildup to cause a chimney fire capable of damaging the chimney or spreading to the home."

Seven Simple Fire Prevention Strategies for Your Apartment

Fire prevention strategies can help protect you from incurring thousands of dollars in damages, and they can save your life. It’s great to have working smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector installed, but those are only effective after a fire has already started. Here are 7 simple fire prevention strategies for your apartment.
1. Caution in the Kitchen
Move papers, bills and other flammable materials away from your kitchen stove. Kitchen fires can get out of hand in a hurry once they get started. Also, be careful when cooking anything with hot oils or grease. This is one of the most common causes of kitchen fires. Make sure you have a working fire extinguisher in your kitchen, just in case.
2. Use Surge Protectors
This not only protects your appliances, it can also help prevent a fire. If something shorts out, the spark could potentially start a fire. This is especially true in older apartments, where the outlets may not be up to municipal fire codes. A surge protector for your electronics can be an extra level of protection.
3. Candles and Incense
Unattended candles and incense burners are frequent fire starters in apartments. Never leave these items unattended if you’re burning them. Be careful not to place them in a location where they can accidentally be knocked over. Also, place them away from drapes, curtains or anything else that could catch fire.
4. Cigarettes
Unattended cigarettes are the number one cause of apartment fires. This makes it a tremendous health risk not only for yourself, but also for your neighbors if you set the building on fire. Consider entering a treatment program to kick the habit, and if you must have a cigarette, smoke it outside (away from your neighbors apartments), and ensure it is properly put out.
5. Check Electrical Cords
If you find an electrical cord for an appliance that’s frayed or cracked, it’s a potential fire hazard. Either replace the cord or the entire appliance. Also, don’t run electric cords underneath a rug or between rooms. Walking on a cord or closing a door on it can cause it to wear out over time, and a spark could cause a fire.
6. Don’t Store Flammable Materials
If you have an extra gasoline can or a propane tank for a barbecue, don’t store those in your apartment. This is a potential fire hazard, and it might even be a violation of your lease agreement.
7. Take Care with Heaters
Don’t attempt to dry clothes on the heaters in your apartment. Make sure to keep all heaters free and clear from obstructions, especially things that are flammable. If you use a space heater, make sure it’s an appropriate distance from anything that could catch fire (about 3 feet). Space heaters should also be plugged directly into a wall outlet. Never use an extension cord with a space heater in your apartment.

Following these fire prevention strategies is just the beginning to protecting your apartment. Make sure to keep all of your apartment exits free and clear of obstruction in case of a fire. Also make sure your windows operate properly, and have an escape plan for everyone in the apartment in case of a fire.