Tips on how to practice fire safety at home

fire, but said he has seen situations where furniture, boxes, piles of clothing and other items in front of doors made fire rescues more difficult.

And French noted that while the state mandates annual inspections of all multifamily homes of three units and more, duplexes and single-family homes are not included in the requirement, so firefighters typically do not know what they will face in those homes.

State police fire investigator Sgt. Paul Makuc, who is not investigating the Somers fire, said people often get used to using one door and don’t think about another entry that can become blocked off with furniture and other items.

“I think there’s always some improvements that everybody can do when it comes to clearing exits,” Makuc said.

That includes clearing snow and ice from walkways and fire hydrants, he said.

The National Fire Protection Association advises these steps for residents:

Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room and outside each sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of the home.

Clear escape routes of anything that blocks doors and windows.

Gather everyone in the household and make a plan. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of the home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors.

Choose an outside meeting place a safe distance from the front of the home where everyone can meet after escaping.

Make sure your house number is clearly visible from the road.

Hold home fire drills to practice the escape plan.

Every family member must be able to escape from second-floor rooms. Escape ladders can be placed in or near windows to provide an additional escape route.

In households with infants, older adults, and family members with mobility limitations, make sure someone is assigned to help them in an emergency.

If windows or doors have security bars, make sure the bars have emergency release devices inside.