Shoreline Fire: prevent accidental fires

Exterior of house on 5th NE
Photo courtesy Shoreline Fire

A word of caution from Shoreline Fire:

Accidental fires are devastating and heartbreaking. As we approach the winter months, review basic fire prevention rules with your families and do a fire safety survey of your home, Lots of great information for including children in this effort is online. 

Here are the top causes of house fires:

• Food unattended on the stove
• Unattended candles      

Most important thing you can do to protect your family?

• Working smoke alarms inside and outside all sleeping rooms
• A well-practiced escape plan 

When smoke alarms don't make a difference:

• When no one is at home to hear it!

32nd NE
Photo courtesy Shoreline Fire

There were two house fires in Shoreline this week where smoke alarms could not make a difference. Both were fires with severe and costly damage. Both with significant fire safety lessons learned.

One was caused by an unplugged smoker, that was still hot enough to ignite something on the exterior of the house. Flames tore up the siding, spread to the attic, and were blown by winds into the house next door.

The second destroyed a vacant home being extensively remodeled. Cause? Someone left mineral oil-soaked rags (from a floor refinishing project) crumbled up in the garage.

Shoreline Firefighters quickly extinguished both fires, and protected the next door exposures. But the fires were not reported until they were seen by passersby, and had become fully involved structure fires.