Protection against fire

An outdoor plant in potting soil was used to snub out a cigarette in north Spokane.

A plastic laundry basket was placed near the wall-mounted heater in the bathroom of a North Side home.

A pan of oil was left on a hot stove when the cook left his Pullman house to cash a check.

Actions like these have a similar outcome: Residents standing in the street, watching firefighters spray water on the remains of their home.

With temperatures dropping, fireplaces will be crackling, furnaces will be cranked up and space heaters will be glowing, all creating the danger of house fires.

“And it’s not going to get any better,” said Brian Schaeffer, assistant fire chief in Spokane. “This time of year we rely more and more on temperature heat sources.”

According to the 2005 Fire in Washington annual report, there were 7,797 structural fires in the state, which accounted for 32 percent of the fires reported. There were 670 structural fires, including confined fires, reported in Region 9 (Spokane, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln and Ferry counties), accounting for 30 percent of total fire incidents reported.

Careless cooking is the top reason for home fires in the United States each year and results in about 114,000 fire calls, more than 4,400 injuries and 300 deaths, Jan Doherty, public education officer of the Spokane Fire Department, pointed out.

Home heating equipment is the second most common cause of residential structure fires, added Bill Clifford, public information officer at Spokane Valley Fire Department. Statistics show that fireplaces and chimneys are the No. 1 source of home heating equipment fires.

However, people need to be mindful of the less-obvious causes.

In September, 40 firefighters contained a third-floor apartment fire in Spokane that threatened 18 other apartments. It was started when a person put out a cigarette in flammable potting soil. Schaeffer estimated the department gets two to three similar calls a year.

“Most people who extinguish their cigarettes in pots perceive it as being dirt,” Schaeffer said. “That’s a misperception.”

Another hot topic in the winter is fireplace embers. They seem cold, so people put them in a paper bag, and set them out on the porch, sometimes a wooden porch, next to the firewood and propane tank. The result isn’t pretty.

“People get in a hurry, it’s late at night and they just want to go to bed,” Schaeffer said. “It happens multiple times a year in Spokane.”

This also is a popular time for chimney cleaning. Creosote, residue that sticks to the inner walls of the chimney, is highly combustible. If it builds up, it could catch fire.

Fall also is “change your clock, change your smoke detector battery” time. For those who didn’t do this household chore on Oct. 29, when clocks were set back an hour, there’s still time.

According to Doherty, an estimated 96 percent of U.S. homes have some smoke detectors, but 23 percent of the smoke alarms don’t work because of dead or missing batteries.

Here’s a list of safety tips provided by Spokane and Spokane Valley fire departments:

Kitchen tips

“ Keep a close eye on whatever is cooking on the stove, particularly when grease is involved. A small grease fire is best extinguished by carefully covering the pan with a lid and then turning off the heat.

“ Never put water on a grease fire. Water will spread the flame.

“ Unplug small kitchen appliances such as coffeepots and toasters when they are not being used. Small fuses can fail and start a fire.

“ Keep a three-foot “safety zone” around the stove and don’t let children near it when you are cooking.

“ Keep pan handles turned away from the edge of the stove so the contents are not accidentally spilled on the cook or a child.

“ Wear short or close-fitting sleeves whenever cooking.

“ Immerse a small surface burn in cool water for about five minutes. Remember the “rule of palm”: seek medical help for any serious burn that is larger than the palm of the injured person’s hand.

Smoke detectors

“ Inspect detectors and make sure they are not more than 10 years old. This applies to both hard-wired and battery-operated smoke detectors. After 10 years, the half-life of the radioactive material in ionization detectors is so diminished that you cannot depend on a reliable alarm. Throw out the detector and recycle the battery.

“Replace older smoke detectors with those that have 10-year lithium batteries. The battery should last as long as the detector.

“Make sure there is at least one working smoke detector on every level of your home. If a fire starts in the basement and there is no detector on that level, you will lose valuable minutes before the smoke makes its way to a detector on the main floor and sounds an alarm.

“Consider installing smoke detectors inside bedrooms. Hard-wired detectors are required inside bedrooms on all new construction since 1992. Older homes have more reasons for that same level of protection.

“ For those who cannot hear an alarm, install a visual or strobe smoke detector. Those with limited income can apply for a free strobe from the Foundation for Safer Housing at its Web site, www.safehousecampaign.com.

“ Test detectors on the first day of every month to make sure the batteries are working, even if they use the long-life lithium batteries. Change alkaline batteries at least once a year or whenever the detector “chirps.”

Fireplaces

“ Before each heating season have flues and chimneys inspected for leakage and blockage by creosote or debris.

“ Open the fireplace damper before lighting the fire and keep it open until the ashes are cool. Never close the damper if the ashes are still warm.

“ Store fireplace ashes in a fire-resistant container and cover it with a lid. Keep the container outdoors and away from combustibles.

Space heaters

“ Place the heater on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep the heater at least three feet from bedding, drapes, furniture and other flammable materials. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.

“ To prevent the risk of fire, never leave a space heater on when you go to sleep or place a space heater close to any sleeping person. Turn the space heater off if you leave the area.

“ Use a space heater that has been tested to the latest safety standards and certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory. These heaters will have the most up-to-date safety features. Older space heaters may not meet the newer safety standards.