If your home has one or more fireplaces, special precautions can help to keep home fires burning safely:

• Never burn charcoal or use a hibachi in your fireplace. Both produce deadly carbon monoxide.
• Protect against sparks by enclosing a fireplace's opening with glass doors or a sturdy screen.
• Never close the flue while a fire is still smoldering. Carbon monoxide could build up.  
• Never use gasoline, kerosene or lighter fluid to start a fire. Burn only dry, seasoned hardwood. For extra safety, light fires with long-stemmed matches.
• Have your fireplace and chimney inspected annually. They should be properly vented and free of blockages. Have cleaned as needed.
• Protect the top of your chimney with a guard that keeps out birds and small animals and keeps in sparks that could ignite your roof.
• Keep flammables such as newspapers, magazines, rugs and carpeting well away from the fireplace.
• Remove holiday decorations from the fireplace and mantle before building a fire to avoid having the decorations ignite.
• Teach children to stay back from the fireplace.
• Never leave a fire unattended.
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy.

If Fire Breaks Out
Smoke detectors greatly increase the likelihood you'll survive a fire. Place at least one on each floor of your home and outside each sleeping area. Install detectors inside bedrooms for added protection. Mount detectors on the ceiling, at least 4 inches away from the wall. Test detectors monthly and replace batteries once a year. To help you remember, plan to install new batteries on an annual event, such as the Fourth of July. Replace smoke detectors after 10 years.

If a fire does break out, take immediate action. Smoke and flames spread rapidly. Get out of the house right away, then call the fire department from a neighbor's house or a cellular phone. Fumes overcome most victims long before flames reach them. Use your safest exit. If you must escape through smoke, get down and crawl low under the smoke, keeping your head about 12-24 inches off the floor.

If you haven't gotten around to conducting a family fire drill, now's the time to do it. And visit your local hardware store or home center to invest in a few fire extinguishers. Extinguishers are classified according to the type of fire they will put out, and you'll find the classification displayed on an extinguisher.

A Class ABC extinguisher is multi-purpose and works well against any small, self-contained fire. Keep one in the kitchen, extras in the basement or garage. Contact your fire department to ask about training. Don't attempt to fight a fire unless you know you have the right extinguisher to handle that type of fire, and be sure to keep your back to a safe exit.

Fire Safety Checklist
Take this quick quiz to help you assess your family's fire safety plan:

• Do you follow the fire prevention practices outlined in this article? Pay special attention to safety tips on cooking, smoking, use of heating equipment, proper storage of flammables and precautions regarding children and matches.
• Are your smoke detectors working? There should be at least one on every floor of your home. Test each detector monthly, and replace batteries annually.
• Do you hold regular fire drills?  Several times a year, have your family practice exiting your home safely and quickly in the event of an emergency. Designate a meeting place for all family members to gather once they are out of the house.
• Have you taught your children to "stop, drop and roll"? In the event their clothing catches fire, kids (and adults) should stop, drop to the floor, cover their faces and roll over and over or back and forth to put out the fire. Keep rolling until the fire goes out.
• Have you planned an alternate escape route? It's important to have at least two escape routes from each room in your home, often a door and a window. Practice using them now to be sure you could get out in an emergency.
• Can you safely exit from the second floor? A chain ladder or other easily accessible ladder can help you escape from the upper stories of your home in the event of a fire.
• Do you know how to use your fire extinguishers? Know where your fire extinguishers are kept, and read the instructions for use before you need them.
• Do you know the phone number for your local fire department and the location of the nearest phone outside your house? In case of fire, always evacuate your home first, then call for help from a cellular or other nearby phone.