Every October, Fire Prevention Week arrives, making it the opportune time to review important fire safety reminders to help prevent a horrible tragedy like a house or condo fire from ever happening. Here are some helpful reminders:

• Make sure you have working smoke alarms (changing the batteries every daylight savings time is a great way to remember, but you should test them every month), and ensure there is a smoke alarm on every level of your house and in every sleeping area.
• Never leave a stove unattended and keep oil away from heat sources.
• Keep your heaters away from anything flammable.
• Replace any damaged electrical cords.
• Don’t leave candles or fires unattended.
• Use a screen for fireplaces to prevent sparks from flying.
• Have your heating system serviced regularly, including your chimney if you have one.
• Remove lint from the dryer lint trap after every use and clean out your dryer vent annually.
• Only plug power bars into a grounded outlet, never plug extension cords and power bars into one another, and only connect light-load appliances into power bars (e.g., computers, lamps, chargers, etc.)

It can be easy to overlook preventative fire maintenance when we get busy with life, so keep these tips in mind to reduce your risk of a tragedy.