SAN ANGELO, Texas — A life-altering fire can start in the blink of an eye, and though they’re not always preventable, there are some steps you can take to lessen the chances of them breaking out.
Johnny Fisher, San Angelo Fire Department Assistant Chief of Operations, has some quick tips and preventative measures.
- Be mindful of dry vegetation close to your house.
“Clear at least 30 feet around your home. If you have any shrubs or high vegetation, you may want to keep that mowed.” Fisher said. “If you stack firewood, try to keep it at least 15 feet from your house, if you can, keep it uphill. If you have any dead tree limbs hanging down, or on your roof, you’ll want to trim those.” - Make sure you have smoke alarms on every level of your house, especially around sleeping areas. Make sure the alarms have batteries and do a quick test every month. In 2005, the National Fire Protection Association reported that 74 percent of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
- Tighten up any loose trailer chains on your vehicles.
“People pulling trailers with the chains hanging down, can cause a spark and go off into the vegetation and cause a fire. So just be mindful and keep the chains pulled up if you can.” - Be careful when working with machinery outdoors.
“Working with grinders or welding, with a spark from the tool itself, it can catch the grass on fire.”
And of course, if there is a fire at your home, get out, stay out and call for help from a neighboring residence if you don't have a cell phone.
For more information and preventative measures you can take, visit the Red Cross emergency preparation page.
