Did you know this week is Fire Prevention Week?
The initiative is the brainchild of Fire Prevention Canada, a national organization committed to educating Canadians about fire safety. Their theme this year is “protect your family from fire.”
If your family includes furry or feathered creatures, you'll want to ensure they're protected as well. Here are some things to keep in mind.
• Include your pets in your fire safety plan. “You should always plan and practise a home escape plan for your family, and that plan should include what to do with your pets,” says Art Pullan, the director of the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council. Figure out now who is responsible for each pet should you need to evacuate your home for real.
Make sure to include the four-legged members of your family in your fire drill (image via Wikipedia).
Including pets in your practice run familiarizes them with the situation. “Dogs and cats are not unlike children – if they see smoke, they’ll go and hide,” says Pullan. “It’s important – to the extent that they can appreciate it – to put them through the motion [of a fire drill].”
• Evacuate dogs on a leash and cats in a carrier. If your pet is scared by his surroundings, his instinct may be to bolt.
• Check your home for exposed wires. A cat likes to play with anything resembling string. Keep power cords and electric wires secured and out of paw’s reach so they don’t get mistaken for a new toy. Rabbits may also chew on wires and cords.
• Don’t leave your pet alone in a room with an open flame, such as a candle. This is just inviting trouble, as your curious feline could jump up on a table and either burn herself or knock the candle over. Consider flameless candles, which have a lightbulb instead of a wick: that way, your kitty can sit safely by the glow of a “flame.”
• Keep an eye on animals in the kitchen. According to the ASPCA, "exploring stove tops is the number one way your pet can accidentally start a fire." Both the heat and the smell of chicken coming from above may tempt your pet to explore.
The key, says Pullan, is to be fire safe in your own home. "By being fire safe we're making our pets fire safe as well," he says. "We're not creating the situation where they can innocently become the starter of something or the victim of something."
Do you have a home evacuation plan in place? Does it include your pets?
