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all and winter are peak
seasons for home fires,
according to the National
Fire Protection Association
(NFPA). To protect your home,
take proactive steps to safeguard
against fires and to be sure your
family is ready in case of an
emergency.
Here are practical things you can
do to prevent fires from starting,
and to respond quickly when
necessary.
Check your smoke detectors.
Every fall and spring check your
detectors and replace batteries
annually. It’s vital to have working
smoke detectors on every level of
your home, outside bedrooms and

near the kitchen (but at least 10 feet
from cooking appliances).
Schedule an electrical
inspection. For older homes, or
if you haven’t had electrical work
done for years, it’s recommended
to make sure your home is properly
wired and up to current safety
codes.
Keep a close eye on kitchen
safety. The NFPA reports the
kitchen as the most common place
for house fires to start. Unattended
cooking is a common culprit,
so make sure to always closely
monitor your stovetop and oven
while they’re in use.
Always keep a fire extinguisher
handy, and make sure you and

other family members know how
to use it. Be prepared to use a pan
lid to smother a grease fire if one
should arise, as water will make it
worse.
Consider kitchen appliances
with built-in safety features.
Some older appliances don’t offer
safety features that up-to-date
technology has made possible.
Today’s electric and induction
ranges are considerably safer than
traditional gas ovens and stovetops,
as there are no open flames, they
don’t produce indoor air pollution
and they’re not capable of causing
gas leaks.
In addition, if you’re concerned
about your stovetop accidentally

getting turned on, you can now
find electric ranges and cooktops
that come with a safety locking
device that can stop their functions.
For example, some models from
LG have a built-in safety feature
that prevents the burners on the
cooktop from being heated when
the Lock function is set, even if
the touch buttons are pressed. It is
always recommended that you read
the owner’s manual to ensure that
you use the product as intended in
the safest possible manner.
Safeguard your laundry room.
Another potential area of concern
for fire safety is your laundry room,
specifically your clothes dryer.
While you may remember to clean
the lint filter, many homeowners
forget about the dryer’s duct. With
too much lint buildup in the duct,
restricted airflow can cause dryers
to overheat, which could lead to a
fire.
To help you remember this
important chore, consider an
LG Dryer that offers FlowSense
Duct Clogging and Lint Filter
Indicators with the LG ThinQ® app
— which sends you notifications
when it detects a reduction in
airflow, prompting you to clean
the duct. Regular cleaning based
on these alerts helps maintain
proper ventilation, reducing risk
of overheating and ensuring safer
dryer operation.
Review your emergency plan.
Make sure that everyone in your
household knows what to do if a
smoke detector goes off or there’s a
fire in progress. Hold regular family
meetings to review exits from each
room, and practice where to meet
outside in case of emergency. This
can make a difference when there
are only minutes to exit your home
safely.
Being proactive, choosing
appliances with safety features and
reviewing your emergency plan will
all give you more peace of mind
when it comes to fire safety this
season.

Act now to protect your home and family.
Fire Safety

(BPT)

WELCOME HOME

34 | NOVEMBER 28 • 2024
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