National Pet Fire Safety Day, held on July 15 each year, highlights the importance of preparing and protecting pets in the event of an unexpected fire. Taking preventative measures can save your home and your pet in the event of the unexpected, and even prevent your pet from starting a fire.
Here are six tips to help protect your pets.
- Protect your home against pets to avoid fire-related accidents
According to the National Fire Protection Association, about 750 house fires each year are accidentally started by the owner’s pet or wild animal. These fires involve cooking appliances, fireplaces and chimneys, heaters, lamps, light bulbs, wiring and candles. To prevent fires from starting in your home, follow these steps:
- Keep curious animals away from candles, gas stoves, grills and fireplaces. An open flame can be fascinating to dogs and cats, who are attracted to the flickering motion. It can also be potentially devastating if your pet knocks over a lit candle with a tail or paw motion. Not only could your pet be burned, but a fire could be started. And of course, never leave your pet unattended with a burning candle or fireplace.
- In addition to keeping pets away from open fires, replace traditional candles with battery-operated flameless candles. If your pet knocks over a “burning” flameless candle, the risk of fire and burns is minimal.
- Make sure your home has working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. You may also consider a monitoring service if you live in a fire-prone area. If a fire starts while you are away from home, you and your local fire department will be notified and can respond.
- Do not use glass water bowls on wooden decks. When filtered through water and glass, the sun’s rays can be amplified, heating and even igniting the wood on which the bowl rests.
- Have an escape plan that includes your pet
Approximately 40,000 pets die each year in household fires and approximately 500,000 pets are affected overall. This is part of the reason why safety experts recommend that you have a fire escape plan for your family, including your pets. You may only have a few minutes to leave, so having an escape plan is invaluable.
National Pet Fire Safety Day is a great time to create an escape plan if you don’t already have one. To reduce your escape time, identify two exits and keep extra leashes or cat carriers nearby. Always evacuate your animals on a leash or in a transport cage. Dogs and cats can panic when they smell smoke and run away once outside – or even inside your burning house – which can put your pet in danger.
- Make sure your pets are identified with up-to-date information
If you and your pet are separated, make sure all of your pets wear collars and tags with up-to-date identifying information. Also be sure to write your pet’s name, name and contact information on your pet’s carrier. You’ll also want to consider your pet’s microchip as a more permanent form of identification. Just make sure you’ve registered your pet with the microchip provider and that your details are up to date.
- Prepare emergency pet supplies and travel kits
An emergency pet food kit that you store in your car, a separate shed, or a detached garage will come in handy in case you need to evacuate your home quickly. If you need to store emergency kits in your home, keep them with leashes or racks as close to an exit as possible. The kit should be clearly labelled, easy to carry and include the following:
- Veterinary medical records and medications
- Food and bottled water
- Current photos, in case your pet gets lost
- Cat bowls, litter and box and can opener
- Harnesses, leashes and muzzles
- Plastic bags and paper towels to clean up animal droppings
- Emergency contact numbers
- Pet toys and beds
- Know where pets hide or like to nap
Do you know where your pet likes to hide when scared? Or where your pet likes to nap undisturbed? If not, now would be a good time to learn – before you have to evacuate your house quickly. If your pets are scared, knowing where to look can help you get them out safely.
- Use pet alert window stickers to alert first responders
Place a sticker that alerts first responders to pets in your home on a front window or near the door of your home. The sticker should tell firefighters the type and number of pets you have (be sure to keep the information up to date). You can find these stickers at many pet stores and some pet organizations.
You can ensure that everyone in the family, even the four-legged ones, will be safe in the event of a fire with just a little planning and preparation. With National Pet Fire Safety Day on July 15, consider celebrating the day with a fire drill!
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