What can I do to protect my home from wildfire risks?

A:

House fires can ignite accidentally and escalate quickly, endangering everyone in the home and causing thousands in property damages. With house fires, prevention is your best protection. Here are a few places you can start: Make sure there are smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of your home and in every bedroom. Test them monthly and replace the batteries as soon as they start to chirp. Avoid smoking in the house. It is the single leading cause of fire deaths every year.

Stay in the kitchen while cooking and keep a fire extinguisher stored nearby. The National Fire Protection Agency says 49% of all residential fires are caused by cooking fires.

Be extra careful when using portable and fixed space heaters. Turn them off when you’re not home and keep flammable materials away from them.

Keep your yard free of dried vegetation and maintain a trimmed lawn. This will help minimize spread of any fire threats.

A:

Owning a home is one of the biggest investments most people would have to make. Purchasing home insurance is always recommended, but homeowners need to be cautious and brush up on home fire prevention tips to ensure safety in their household.

Be sure to mitigate the risk of potential fires, losing decades of memories, and hurting your wallet by following these tips below:

Install smoke alarms within your home and ensure they’re working properly.

Double-check that appliances are turned off before leaving your home. Never leave the oven, a fire, or a candle unattended.

Make sure electrical wires are covered and prevent overload from too many plugs in an outlet.

Clean out dryer lint in the laundry machines to prevent build up as they are highly flammable. Pull landscaping weeds away from the walls. Add water to grass to avoid starting a fire starting.

Purchase a fire extinguisher and have it easily available in your home.