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SMOKE ALARMS

Each family in the New York Mills Fire District
with a newborn gets a smoke detector free of charge.
 Contact the firehouse for more information.

Every home should have a smoke alarm on every level, and outside of sleeping areas.

You can prevent tragedies simply by testing and maintaining your smoke alarms!  All smoke alarms in your house should be tested once a month, and their batteries replaced annually.

Every year in the United States, about 3,000 people lose their lives in residential fires, usually caused from inhalation of smoke and gasses.  Most deaths and injuries occur in fires that happen at night, when the victims are asleep.

Smoke alarms save lives, prevent injuries, and minimize damage, because of early warning.

 

CLOTHES DRYER SAFETY

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that in 1998, clothes dryers were associated with 15,600 fires, which resulted in 20 deaths and 370 injuries!

Clean the lint screen/filter before or after drying each load of clothes. If clothing is still damp at the end of a typical drying cycle or drying requires longer times than normal, this may be a sign that the lint screen or the exhaust duct is blocked.

Clean the dryer vent and exhaust duct periodically. Check the outside dryer vent while the dryer is operating to make sure exhaust air is escaping. If it is not, the vent or the exhaust duct may be blocked. To remove a blockage in the exhaust path, it may be necessary to disconnect the exhaust duct from the dryer. Remember to reconnect the ducting to the dryer and outside vent before using the dryer again.

Clean behind the dryer, where lint can build up. Have a qualified service person clean the interior of the dryer chassis periodically to minimize the amount of lint accumulation. Keep the area around the dryer clean and free of clutter.

Replace plastic or foil, accordion-type ducting material with rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct. Most manufacturers specify the use of a rigid or corrugated semi-rigid metal duct, which provides maximum airflow. The flexible plastic or foil type duct can more easily trap lint and is more susceptible to kinks or crushing, which can greatly reduce the airflow.

Take special care when drying clothes that have been soiled with volatile chemicals such as gasoline, cooking oils, cleaning agents, or finishing oils and stains. If possible, wash the clothing more than once to minimize the amount of volatile chemicals on the clothes and, preferably, hang the clothes to dry. If using a dryer, use the lowest heat setting and a drying cycle that has a cool-down period at the end of the cycle. To prevent clothes from igniting after drying, do not leave the dried clothes in the dryer or piled in a laundry basket.
 

PREVENTING CHIMNEY FIRES
Each year thousands of homes experience chimney fires due to improper maintenance of their chimney.  These fires can be prevented by making sure you have your chimney professionally cleaned and inspected at least once a year. 

Some Signs Of A Chimney Needing Cleaning:
1. An odor of burned wood coming from the fireplace.
2. Drafting or smoking problems with the chimney.
3. Creosote covering the damper. You can check this by looking inside the fireplace near the damper. If you see any creosote, which resembles black mold, then it is most likely coating the entire smoke chamber and flue liner.

How Do I Know If I Have A Chimney Fire?
The first indication of a chimney fire is usually the noise - a roaring sound that grows louder as the fires intensity increases. It may sound like a low flying aircraft or a freight train. Outside the house clouds of black smoke and sparks will be seen exiting the top of the chimney; in severe fires, flames can extend several feet above the chimney. However, there have also been chimney fires that homeowners did not know about. Slow burning fires do not get enough air or have enough fuel to be dramatic or visible. But the temperatures they reach are very high and can cause as much damage to the chimney structure - and nearby combustible parts of the house - as the more spectacular ones. With proper chimney care, chimney fires are preventable.

In The Event Of A Chimney Fire...
Call 911; notify fire department immediately!
Do not spray a hose down the chimney; this will only make matters worse by damaging your chimney further. It will crack your flue & mortar creating large gaps to allow fire spread outside of your chimney and into your house.

After The Chimney Fire
Do not use the chimney until it has been inspected by a professional. The excessive heat produced by a chimney fire (around 2000 degrees F can "melt" mortar, crack tiles, cause liners to collapse and damage the outer masonry material. Most often, tiles crack and mortar is displaced, which provides a pathway for flames to reach the combustible wood frame of the house. One chimney fire may not harm a home. A second can burn it down. Enough heat can also conduct through a perfectly sound chimney to ignite nearby combustibles.