Moody’s fire prevention office provides tips for spring fire safety

  • Published
  • By Fire Prevention Office
  • 23d Civil Engineer Squadron
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  It's that time of year again -- the Final Four is approaching, the seemingly relentless onslaught of pollen, ever later sunsets and of course, the annual ritual of spring cleaning.

Remember the following fire safety tips as you take a walk through your home and develop your spring cleaning plan of attack.

Make Your Home Safe from Fires
· Check your detectors; clean, test and change your batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon dioxide detectors.
· Check fire extinguishers for proper type and placement.
· Use barbecue grills with caution. Never use gasoline to start the fire, and don't add charcoal lighter fluid once the fire has started.
· Use barbecue grills outside only - not on porches, balconies, under overhangs or carports.
· Barbecues grills should be a minimum of 10 feet away from a house.
· Check your propane grill hose for leaks and cracks and never store propane indoors.
· Ensure you have a fire extinguisher, a five gallon bucket of water or a garden house readily available when cooking outside.
· Cut vegetation to a minimum of 20 feet away from your house and all the way to the ground.

Remove All Hazards
· Replace frayed or damaged appliance cords, wiring, fuses or breakers.
· Dispose of rubbish, trash and yard debris.
· Check for water leaks, especially near electrical appliances.
· Check for appropriate clearance between heating appliances and combustibles.

Properly Store Flammable Liquids and Home Chemicals
· Make sure that gasoline and cleaning fluids are well marked. Store in a cool, dry place outside the house.
· Clean up work areas. Put dangerous tools, adhesives, matches or other work items away and out of any child's reach.
· Make sure that all chemicals are kept under lock and key, out of reach of children and pets.

Plan Your Escape
· Sit down with your family to make sure that everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire.
· Make sure you have two ways out of every room and that you have a meeting place outside the house for the whole family.
· Practice the plan. Even the best plan is no good if you don't practice it!

You can do a lot to protect yourself, your family and your property. A little time spent on simple common sense prevention will do a lot to make your house a safer place.

We are here to help you! Please call the 23d Civil Engineer fire prevention office at 229-257-4410 and we will show you more ways that you can protect yourself all year long.