Celebrate National Pet Fire Safety Day Every July 15

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For National Pet Fire Safety Day we have to ask: Do you have an emergency plan in case of fire? And do you take steps to prevent fires at home?

Hopefully your answer is yes … But are you sure? Are your pets part of your emergency and safety plans?

July 15 is the perfect time to think about that and update your plans if necessary.

National Fire Protection Association data suggests fire affects about 500,000 pets each year. And pets themselves actually start 1,000 fires annually.

Wow. Both those numbers seem surprisingly high. Don’t you think?

Speaking of thinking, do you ever think about how a pet can cause a fire? You may not unless you have a pet who has done things to almost do that. Like the cat who insists on inspecting the stove and surrounding area for anything good to eat. Yes, they exist (we’ve seen it)! And that cat can accidentally turn on the burners.

If you have pets (even if you’ve never seen them on the stove), it’s a good idea to make sure they can’t actually do that. If your stove has a cook top lockout feature, use it! Any time you leave the house and at night before bed, make sure that lock is on.

Another option is to just take the knobs off the stove when you’re not around/awake. Our precious little furballs can’t turn the knob is there is no knob!

National Pet Fire Safety Day was started in 2008 by the American Kennel Club and ADT Security Services.

Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this unofficial safety holiday.

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How to Observe National Pet Fire Safety Day

Take the time on this day to do two things:

• Think about ways your pet could start a fire and what you can do to prevent it.
• Make sure your fire escape emergency plan includes your pets.

 

Preventing Fires

Obviously it’s best to prevent a fire from starting in the first place.

• Never leave pets alone with open flames. This includes candles, fireplaces and gas stoves. Curious pets can easily get too close, either knocking over a candle or setting themselves on fire. Before leaving the room, extinguish all flames (yes, even if you’ll still be home in another room).
• Consider flameless candles. No, you can’t get them in all those heavenly scents, but they’ll also not cause that truly unpleasant charred walls and furnishings stench.
• Remove stove knobs. As we mentioned, without knobs, your pet can’t accidentally turn on the stove. Or, if your stove has a cook top lockout, make sure you use it.
• Fix or remove other hazards, like loose wires.
• Confine young animals to safe areas when you’re not home. Kittens and puppies are naturally more curious, and so more likely to get into trouble while you’re away. Keeping them in a safe room or large crate is safer for them.

 

These things can help keep you and your pets from becoming a victim of a preventable fire.

 

Making Pets Part of Your Emergency Plan

It’s important to know how you’ll keep your pets safe in any emergency, including a fire.

When making your plan, think about these things:

• Who will be responsible for getting your pets out of the house in a fire? One person should have primary responsibility. But also have a backup person in case the first isn’t home.
• Where are the carriers/leashes? A carrier is a secure place for a scared animal, especially a cat, so he or she can’t run away. Keep them easily accessible so you can put your pets in quickly. Have a leash easy to grab for larger dogs.
• Where will you keep your pets after evacuating? If you end up in a shelter or hotel, most won’t let you keep your pets. Arrange temporary housing with a family member or friend ahead of time, just in case.
• What’s your escape route? Make sure everybody knows the best way to evacuate every room (with backup routes in case one route is blocked by the fire). Have practice fire drills (yes, just like when you were a kid at school), and practice with your pets.

 

And, if you haven’t already (for National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day, for example), put pet alert stickers or decals in your windows to let firefighters know you have pets and how many/what kind. Include the pets’ names so rescuers can call for them (not all animals will come for a stranger, but it’s worth the effort in case yours will).

The ASPCA’s free Pet Safety Pack includes a window sticker. If you want to put them in multiple windows, you can also buy stickers and decals.

It’s also a good idea to consider having a monitored alert service instead of just smoke detectors. If your pets are home alone, they can’t call for help or escape. A monitored service will alert the fire department and you, so there’s a chance somebody can get to your pets in time.

 

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