Protecting Your Pets From Residential Fires

7/16/2018 (Permalink)

Protect Your Pets

While the idea of a fire erupting in your home is never easy to consider, the potential of your beloved pets getting hurt during any fire emergency is that much worse. Therefore, it’s important to not only create a pet preparation plan in the event of a house fire but to take precautions with pet safety before a situation ever occurs. Here are some important ways to protect your pets before and after a dangerous situation occurs. 

Prevent a mishap by always extinguishing open flames and keeping them at high levels out of your animal’s reach. Any moving flames seen from candles, BBQs, fireplaces and more can easily draw your pet’s attention. Therefore, it’s vital that you always put out any flames before leaving a room and keep them away from reach, either placed up high or properly covered and untouchable.
Address any problem areas by doing a regular inspection around the home. Check for any loose wiring, reachable appliances or unstable devices that can be knocked over, as they can all turn into possible fire hazards. 
If a fire emergency does break out, be sure your pets have their identification in a safe place. Keep any ownership and vaccination records in a fireproof box, and leave your pet’s tagged collars on them at all times to ensure firefighters or other rescuers can identify who your pets belong to and where to secure them.
Plan an escape route with your pet. Practicing fire drills and showing your pets where their escape routes are can give them a helpful head start should a fire erupt. Leave leashes and carriers easy to reach and keep your animals near an entrance while you’re away so they can be quickly located by professionals. 

Protecting your pets by taking preventative measures in your home is crucial for pet safety and your peace of mind. After all, if a fire emergency occurs, knowing you’re prepared ahead of time is crucial to staying calm and getting everyone out in a timely manner.