It’s a stunning fact that half a million pets are affected every year by home fires and since July 15 is National Pet Fire Safety Day, there’s no better time to make sure you’re doing all you can to protect our furred and feathered friends. It’s also true that many house fires are actually caused by pets, so you’ll be doing yourself a favor too by taking sensible precautions.
For example: extinguish open flames which often arouse pet curiosity, remove glass bowls from wooden decks (they can ignite wood), secure or remove loose wires, and keep young animals away from potential fire-starting hazards.
If you’re going out, leave pets near entrances where they’re more easily rescued if there’s a fire, and place a decal on a window that requests pet rescue and explains how many animals are in the house. Some alarm companies offer these free online.
Pet Fire Safety Day is sponsored by the National Volunteer Fire Council and the American Kennel Club. Get more details on the event from their websites.