Tri-City Fire District

P. O. Box 83

Claypool, Arizona 85532

                                                                                                       PRESS RELEASE

                                                                                                        Date: June 17, 2010

SUMMER FIRE SAFETY TIPS FROM TRI-CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT

Tri-City Fire District is reminding residents to follow the following summer safety tips:

According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), more than 3500 Americans die each year and approximately 20,000 are injured in fires, many of which could be prevented.

By teaching people the basic facts about fire, fire deaths can be reduced.  Here are some basic facts:

• In less than 30 seconds a small flame can get completely out of control and turn into a major fire.
• A fires heat alone can kill.  Room temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at floor level and rise to 600 degrees at eye level.  Inhaling this super hot air will scorch your lungs, and melt your clothes to your sin.
• Fires start bright, but quickly produce black smoke and complete darkness.  If you wake up to a fire you may be blinded, disoriented and unable to find your way around the home you’ve lived in for years.
• Smoke and toxic gases kill more people than flames do.  Fire uses up the oxygen you need and produces smoke and poisonous gases that kill.

In the event of a fire, remember time is the biggest enemy and every second counts.

• Escape first, and then call for help.
• Develop a home fire escape plan and designate a meeting place outside.
• Make sure everyone in the family knows two ways to escape from every room.
• Practice feeling your way out with your eyes closed.
• NEVER stand up in a fire, always crawl low under the smoke and try to keep your mouth covered.
• Never return to a burning building for any reason; it may cost you your life.
• Finally, having a working smoke alarm dramatically increases your chances of surviving a fire.

If you are a Smoker, or live with a Smoker:

• One-in-four people killed in home fires is not the smoker whose cigarette caused the fire.
• More than one third was children of the smokers.
• Twenty-five percent were neighbors or friends of the smokers.
• If you smoke, smoke outside.  If you smoke while driving, use your ashtray, not the roadway.
• Make sure cigarettes and ashes are out.
• Never smoke in a home where oxygen is used.

Fireworks Safety:

• Fireworks are Illegal in the State of Arizona.  It is against the law in Arizona to sell, use, explode, or even possess fireworks.  The safest way to enjoy them is through public displays conducted by professional pyrotechnicians hired by communities.

Barbecue Safety:

• When grilling outdoors, ensure that a 10 foot area around the cooking location is weed free and all hot coals are doused after cooking.  Never pour accelerants onto hot coals.
• Make sure everyone knows to Stop, Drop to the ground; cover your face and Roll over and over to put out the fire in case a piece of clothing does catch fire.
• Annually, almost 5,000 Americans are injured by charcoal/wood burning and propane grill fires.

Campfire Safety:

• Build campfires where they will not spread, and keep away from dry grass and leaves.
• Keep campfires small, don’t let them get out of hand and never leave campfires unattended.
• Open flame campfires may be forbidden in some campgrounds in the National Forests.  Check with the local Forestry Office prior to making any camping plans.

Let your landscape defend your property:

• Create a defensible space by thinning trees and brush within 30 feet of your home.

• No burn permits are currently being issued in the Tri-City Fire District.  Illegal burning may result in a citation.

Smoke Alarms:

• A properly installed and maintained smoke alarm is the only thing in your home that can alert you and your family to a fire 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 
• Whether you’re awake or asleep, a working smoke alarm is constantly on alert, scanning the air for fire and smoke.
• According the NFPA, between 2003 and 2006, more than 66 percent of home fire deaths occurred in homes without a working smoke alarm.  A working smoke alarm significantly increases your chances of surviving a deadly home fire.

• Smoke alarms must be tested monthly and change the batteries at least once a year.
• An important part of maintaining a smoke alarm includes replacing it after 10 years of service; therefore if your smoke alarm was installed before June 2000, it needs to be replaced.

Due to the abundant amount of moisture the area received this past winter and resultant outcropping of grass and weeds, the Tri-City Fire District is asks all residents to clean their property of dead grass and weeds in order to avoid potential fire damage to your home.

Remember, that a small brush fire can result in a large wildfire and that wildfires do not discriminate between brush, trees, homes or cabins.  Hundreds of homes and acres of land every year across the country are destroyed by wild land fires.

REPORT ALL FIRES IMMEDIATELY BY CALLING 911

TRI-CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT