Fire Safety: It begins with Spring cleaning

With the arrival of Spring, begins the annual Spring cleaning for us all, that's done in our homes and at work. This is also a time to clear out items that have accumulated which may become a potential fire hazard.

A fire hazard is any material, condition or act that will contribute to the start-up, or increase the extent of a fire.

Trash, old boxes, piles of rags, and other combustibles can provide fuel for a fire. Spontaneous combustion will self-ignite these materials in time if not properly disposed of. Removing items no longer needed, greatly helps in reducing the chance of a fire starting.

Some problem areas to key in on during Spring clean-up, and on a regular basis are:

- keeping storage locations, garages, attics, basements, and closets tidy;

- make sure grass and weed control is being done;

- removing dust and lint from areas of accumulation, such as around water-heaters, furnaces, and in those sometimes forgotten corners:

- and removing old paint, cleaning solvents, furniture polishes, waxes, etc., that are not being used anymore. These need to be thrown away or properly stored.

Good housekeeping, along with good fire prevention practices year-round is everyones' responsibility. This is important because the fire prevention program is only as good as you make it! The local fire departments may be able to extinguish a fire once it's detected, but in most cases you can prevent a fire from occurring. You can simply remove the cause of a fire before it happens. A clean area, plus the care of ensuring it stays that way, equals a lesser chance of a fire starting.

All local fire deparments should promote this fire prevention practice to help the community in preventing a fire from starting. People living in the community that have questions concerning fire prevention in the should contact their local fire departments.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner. This article on Fire Safty, is one I wrote as a USAF Fire Inspector in May 1988.)