Prevention
Albert Lea Fire Rescue works to prevent fires and emergencies, including fire safety education programs for the public, pre-plan inspections and rental housing inspections.
Below are several resources that can help residents, businesses and landlords prevent emergencies:
Doing laundry is most likely part of your everyday routine. But did you know how important taking care of your clothes dryer is to the safety of your home? The leading cause of home clothes dryer fires is failure to clean them. With a few simple safety tips you can help prevent a clothes dryer fire:
- Have your dryer installed and serviced by a professional.
- Do not use the dryer without a lint filter.
- Make sure you clean the lint filter before or after each load of laundry. Remove lint that has collected around the drum.
- Rigid or flexible metal venting material should be used to sustain proper air flow and drying time.
- Make sure the air exhaust vent pipe is not restricted and the outdoor vent flap will open when the dryer is operating. Once a year, or more often it is taking longer than normal for clothes to dry, clean lint out of the vent pipe or have a dryer lint removal service do it for you.
- Keep dryers in good working order. Gas dryers should be inspected by a qualified professional to make sure that the gas line and connection are intact and free of leaks.
- Make sure the right plug and outlet are used and that the machine is connected properly.
- Follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions and don’t overload your dryer.
- Turn the dryer off if you leave home or when you go to bed.
- Dryers should be properly grounded.
- Check the outdoor vent flap to make sure it is not covered by snow.
- Keep the area around your dryer clear of things that can burn, like boxes, cleaning supplies and clothing, etc.
- Clothes that have come in contact with flammable substances, like gasoline, paint thinner, or similar solvents, should be laid outside to dry, then can be washed and dried as usual.
©National Fire Protection Association 2018 (nfpa.org/education)
In Minnesota, about 98% of wildfires are caused by humans. More than 50 wildfires are started each year in Minnesota by campfires that are too large, unattended, or not completely extinguished. As Smokey Bear has reminded Americans since 1944, “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.”
Please follow these guidelines when enjoying a recreational fire:
- Use a fire ring and build the fire at least 25 feet away from any combustible building or material.
- Keep a bucket of water nearby to put out the fire.
- Keep a kid-free zone of 3 feet around the campfire.
- Never leave a campfire unattended.
- Check burning restrictions with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources before starting a recreational fire.
Cooking is a lead cause of structure fires in Minnesota, causing $6 million in damages in one year alone. The top two factors last year in cooking fires were unattended equipment and combustibles too close to a heat source.
Prevent cooking fires by following these guidelines:
- Stay in the kitchen when cooking.
- If you leave the room, turn off the stove and move the pan from the burner.
- Keep things that can burn – oven mitts, towels and wooden spoons – at least 3 feet from the stove.
- If a fire starts, slide a tight-fitting lid on the pan and turn off the heat.
- Avoid loose-fitting clothing that can easily catch fire.
Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a residential fire by 50%. Follow these guidelines to stay safe:
- Test smoke alarms monthly.
- Change smoke alarm batteries at least once a year.
- Replace all smoke alarms every 10 years.
- Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area (within 10 feet of bedrooms) and on every level of the home, including the basement.
- Interconnect your home’s smoke alarms. This way, when one sounds, they all sound.
- Teach children the sound of the smoke alarm and to exit the home/building when it sounds.
- Place alarms on the ceiling. If alarms are placed on the wall they must be no more than 12 inches below the ceiling.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, tasteless and invisible gas. Signs of CO poisoning include headache, nausea, fatigue, vomiting and disorientation. Cooking and heating units that burn fuel and are not properly ventilated or malfunction can be a source of CO in the home. Follow these guidelines to prevent CO poisoning:
- Install CO alarms within 10 feet of each sleeping room or inside each sleeping room.
- Test CO alarms monthly.
- If a CO alarm sounds and you feel ill, call 911 immediately. If you feel fine, open windows and doors and call your gas company.
- Clear snow and debris from furnace, dryer, fireplace or oven vents around your home to prevent a CO buildup.
Most home fires occur in the winter and peak in January when people are heating their homes. Most Minnesota heating fires occur in fireplaces and chimneys. Portable heating devices also cause a significant percentage of home fires. Follow these guidelines to prevent heating fires:
- Keep portable heaters 3 feet from anything flammable.
- Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to sleep.
- Never use an oven to heat a home.
- Have home heating systems and chimneys cleaned and inspected annually.
- Make sure wood stoves are properly installed and ventilated.