The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) offers the following eye-opening statistics on fires:

• 515,000 structure fires were
  reported in the United States
  in 2008.
• $12.3 billion in property damage
  occurred in structure fires.
• One structure fire was reported
  every 61 seconds.

ALL HAS ARRIVED, AND AS THE HOLIDAYS draw near, it is important for you and your customers to be aware of the increased risk of fires in the home.
Did you know there are more residential fires on Thanksgiving Day than any other day of the year? The National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) found that from 2002-2003, an average of 5,200 fires occurred on Thanksgiving Day, causing $21 million in property damage.

Not surprisingly, the leading cause of these Thanksgiving fires was cooking accidents. Most of these fires were started on the stove or in the oven, and a leading factor proved to be residents leaving their food unattended while cooking. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reported that in 2005, fire departments responded to 146,400 home fire damage situations that involved cooking equipment, resulting in more than $870 million in property damage.

Read on for tips to help keep your family and your customers safe this season.

Safety Tips

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying,
  grilling or broiling food. If you leave the
  kitchen, even for a short time, turn off
  the stove.
• Keep anything that can catch fire -
  potholders, towels or curtains – away
  from your stovetop.
• Have a “kid-free zone” of at least 3 feet
  around the stove and areas where hot
  food or drink is prepared or carried.
• Always keep an oven mitt and lid nearby
  when you’re cooking. If a small grease
  fire starts in a pan, put on an oven mitt
  and smother the flames by carefully
  sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off
  the burner.
• Never use a wet oven mitt, as it presents
  a scald danger if the moisture in the mitt
  is heated.
• Have a smoke alarm installed in your
  kitchen. Ensure it is in working order.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, more than 4,000 Americans die and another 20,000 are injured in fires each year. It’s a sobering statistic, but there are steps you can take to help keep your loved ones safe during such an emergency.

Having a written, practiced plan for escape is essential in the workplace and at home. The following are several fire escape planning tips suggested by the U.S. Fire Administration.

Safety Tips

Make a plan. Remember, every second counts.

Practice your plan. Make sure you, your employees and
your family are well-versed in escape
routes from every area of your home
or business. Practice leaving the property
with your eyes closed, feeling your way out.

Leave immediately.

Don’t stop for possessions or keepsakes.
Exit as quickly as possible, but if the
smoke has already grown thick, crawl
low and keep your mouth covered. The
smoke contains toxic gases that can
disorient or overcome you.

Never open doors that are hot to the touch.

When you come to a closed door, use the
back of your hand to see if the door is hot
to the touch. If it appears the fire is on
the other side of the door, leave it shut
and find another escape route.

Designate a meeting place outside and take attendance.

Designate a meeting location away from
the building, but not necessarily across the
street. For example, meet under a specific
tree to make sure no one gets hurt looking
for people who are already out of the
structure. Designate a person to go to
next door to call 911.

Tips and statistics reproduced from NFPA’s Web site, © NFPA (2009).