Make fire safety part of spring cleanup

Our volunteer firefighters put their lives on the line any time they hear that distress call and hop in their engines to battle a blaze. They fight through smoke and risk burns or other injuries to extinguish house, vehicle, business and brush fires, and to make sure residents of Charles County stay safe in those dangerous, potentially fatal situations.

So let’s make their jobs just a little easier. Make fire prevention part of this year’s spring cleaning, and take some tips from Maryland State Fire Marshal Brian S. Geraci.

“It’s the ideal time to check our homes, porches, garages, sheds and yards for dangerous materials and unsafe conditions and to spend some quality time to protect our families and properties,” Geraci said in a press release this month.

Use the Office of the State Fire Marshal’s checklist when safeguarding homes, including attics and basements, as well as garages, sheds and yards:

1) Remove all hazards. This involves checking and correcting any frayed or damaged wires, cords, fuses or breakers. The cause of many of the fires we’ve reported on were determined by investigators to be electrical.

In addition, recycle stacks of paper and magazines, check for water leaks near electrical appliances and make sure there is adequate clearance between heating appliances and combustibles. Get rid of piles of trash and yard debris outside; clear away dead leaves and brush from the outside walls of the home and clean under decks, porches and stairs.

2) Properly store flammable liquids and home chemicals. This means making sure gasoline and cleaning products are out of children’s and pets’ reaches and stored in a cool, dry and locked place.

3) Check fire protection and safety equipment. It’s a good time of year to test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, and to make sure doors and windows aren’t blocked and can easily open in the event of an emergency.

4) Have a family escape plan. Make sure everyone knows how to get out of the house quickly and where to meet if a fire starts. Every room should have two ways out, according to the fire marshal. Once you’ve got a plan in place, it can’t hurt to practice it.

These are just a handful of fire safety tips to consider while doing spring cleaning. Find even more seasonally relevant tips, including those for barn fire prevention, backyard grilling and fireworks, on the National Fire Protection Association’s website at www.nfpa.org/safety-information/safety-tip-sheets.

Happy cleaning — and stay safe.