You’ve probably baby-proofed your home, but have you fire-proofed your home?  According to the U.S. Fire Administration, nearly 47,000 household fires occur during the holidays each year. You can download a free fire safety resource guide at www.BeFireSmart.com, which is sponsored by Liberty Mutual.

Since I’ve been so careful about baby-proofing, I assumed my home was fire safe. Even someone as Type A and safety conscious as me will find the room-by-room fire hazard checklist to be helpful. For example, I didn’t know you needed to have your fireplace and chimney inspected every year.

Some of the interactive quizzes were enlightening as well. I often do a load of laundry in the morning before I leave the house, and it never occured to me that it wasn’t safe to leave my dryer running when I wasn’t home.

www.BeFireSmart.com also has tips about how to talk with your children about fire safety and how to create a family escape plan should a fire break out. There’s even a free downloadable coloring book that teaches kids how to spot potential fire risks and how to help to keep their families safe.

Hat tip: www.momcentral.com

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