Sangamon Sun

National Pet Fire Safety Day serves as a crucial reminder for pet owners to take steps to protect their pets in the event of a fire. Among the recommended safety practices are attaching a pet alert window cling and practicing evacuation drills with pets.

Tips to Keep Pets Safe from House Fires:

1. Extinguish Open Flames – Pets are naturally curious and may investigate cooking appliances, candles, or fireplaces. Ensure that pets are not left unattended around open flames and thoroughly extinguish any flame before leaving home.

2. Pet Proof the Home – Conduct a walk-through of your home to identify areas where pets might inadvertently start fires, such as stove knobs, loose wires, and other potential hazards.

3. Secure Young Pets – Confine young puppies away from potential fire-starting hazards when you are not at home.

4. Keep Pets Near Entrances – When leaving pets alone at home, keep them in areas or rooms near entrances where firefighters can easily find them.

5. Practicing Escape Routes with Pets – Have collars and leashes ready in case of quick evacuation with your pet or if firefighters need to rescue them.

6. Use Monitored Smoke Detectors – Since pets left alone cannot escape a burning home, use monitored smoke detectors connected to a monitoring center for an added layer of protection beyond battery-operated smoke alarms.

7. Affix a Pet Alert Window Cling – Write down the number of pets inside your house and attach the static cling to a front window. This critical information saves rescuers time when locating your pets. Free window clings can be obtained at www.adt.com/pets or AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Days events (details at www.akc.org).

8. Keep Your Information Updated – Ensure that the number of pets listed on pet alert window clings is current so that rescuers can locate all of your pets accurately.