GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Today kicks off a week dedicated to preventing fires in homes and businesses and local officials are stressing three easy tips.
Look. Listen. Learn. It’s three easy steps that can help you stay safe from a potential fire.
“Look for places where a fire could start, listen for the sound of a smoke alarm, and learn two ways out of every room, ” Lieutenant Shauna Walesh, with the Green Bay Metro Fire Department, explains the key message for this year’s Fire Prevention Week.
This week fire officials will be traveling to local schools to educate kids on the importance of fire safety.
Lieutenant Walesh encourages families to be mindful of potential fire starters in their home
“Extension cords hooked into another extension cord,” she says. “Making sure you’re not leaving your burners on while your not in the kitchen.”
And as temperatures cool it’s important to keep an eye open when you light your favorite fall candle.
“Be really cautious if you have pets,” explains Lieutenant Walesh. “Cats are not the most cautious of creatures.”
Before a fire happens, it’s important for families to establish a fire meeting place.
“Which is a safe place away from your home if there is a fire,” she says. “We tell people your mailbox, maybe a tree, your neighbor’s house, just somewhere outside the home.”
More information on fire safety and home escape planning can be found here.
