STATEWIDE — Following last week’s fatal fires, safety officials are sharing tips on how to prevent house fires.
“Fires do happen in homes. It can happen in your home,” State Fire Marshal Joe Thomas said.
Just last we, three separate home fires left four people dead.
The state fire marshal is reminding people there are ways to prevent this.
“Smoke detectors are primary means by which we get an indication that something is wrong in our homes,” Thomas said.
Thomas said families should have an escape plan with a safe meeting location that’s far enough away from the home.
“The whole family can meet up. Everybody can account for each other,” Thomas said. “When the fire department arrives, they can at least give them that information that the family is safe or someone is unaccounted for or where they might be.”
He said it’s important to have a backup escape plan, even if it means exiting out your bedroom window.
“Not only think about those means of escape but really, people need to practice them,” Thomas said. “When you see fire fatalities happening in the middle of the night, it tells us that more than likely those people were in bed.”
Adam Alexander, an electrical inspector for the city of Bangor, said fires can start in various ways.
“Worn out electrical devices, overloaded circuits, plugging too many appliances into a single outlet, heating, cooking,” Alexander said.
Alexander said it’s important to have a licensed electrician do your wiring and provide further assistance if issues arise.
“Fires have been reduced by using arc fault breakers,” Alexander said. “If you don’t have them in your house, call an electrician and see if you can get them installed.”
Thomas added that materials should be kept away from wood stoves, and people need to stay attentive when cooking.
