Be Safe: Pet Fire Safety

Pets4Life Animal Hospital wants to remind its clients about fire safety hazards that impact your pets and things you can do to help keep your pets safe. According to data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), pets and wild animals have a part in starting about 750 home fires per year. These fires involve cooking equipment, decorations, candles, space heaters, lamps, bulbs, wiring, fireplaces and chimneys. Pets4Life recommends you take the following fire safety precautions with your pets

Safety Tips:

• Pets are curious: they may bump into, turn on, or knock over cooking equipment. As much as possible, keep them away from stoves and countertops.
• Keep pets away from candles, lamps, and space heaters. Consider battery-operated, flameless candles as an alternative to regular candles.
• Consider electric rather than flame candles for your holiday decorations.
• Always use a metal or heat-tempered glass screen on a fireplace and keep it in place. Have a “pet-free zone” of at least 3 feet away from the fireplace. Screens can stay hot for several hours after the fire goes out.
• Keep pets away from outside chimney vents.
• Some pets are chewers: watch them to make sure they don’t chew through electrical cords. Have any cords you suspect were chewed checked by a qualified professional.
• In the event of a fire evacuation, never go back inside for a pet. Notify first responders on scene if your pet is trapped.
• Include your plans for your pets when making emergency preparedness and evacuation plans. Pets4Life offers free stickers for you to include on your doors to inform first responders.

Pets4Life encourages you to consider emergency preparedness planning for pets. Please feel free to call us at (847) 434-2745 or visit us at 661 Central Ave, Highland Park, IL 60035.