Live Safe Foundation » Line of Duty

Electrical Appliance Safety

Guest — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:19:06 +0000

Electrical fires in homes claimed the lives of 370 people in 2006, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Most of these fires are caused by misuse and poor maintenance of electrical appliances. The kind of appliances most often involved in electrical fires are stoves, ovens, clothes dryers, central heating units, TVs, radios, and CD/DVD players. Help prevent an electrical fire in your home by taking the following preventative measures:

Routinely check your electrical appliances and wiring for cracked wires. Replace worn, old or damaged appliance cords immediately.
Use extension cords only temporarily and don’t overload them by attaching more electrical appliances to them than they are designed to handle.
Pinching cords against walls or furniture or running them under carpets or across doorways can cause a fire.
Place lamps on level surfaces, away from things that can burn and use bulbs that match the lamp’s recommended wattage.
Purchase only electrical appliances that have the label of a recognized testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL), indicating it has met safety standards.
Keep children from playing with or around electrical appliances such as space heaters, irons, and hair dryers. Homes with young children should have tamper-resistant electrical receptacles.
Keep clothes, curtains, and other similar combustible items at least three feet from all heaters. Keep lamps, light fixtures, and light bulbs away from anything that can burn, including lamp shades, furniture, bedding, clothing, and flammable or combustible liquids.
Check your electrical tools regularly for signs of wear. Replace any tool if it causes even small electrical shocks, overheats, shorts, or gives off smoke or sparks.

If an electrical appliance catches fire, first try unplugging it or shutting the electricity off at the fuse or circuit breaker panel. If you cannot shut off the electricity, use a portable extinguisher with the rating of “C” on it, indicating it is approved for use on electrical fires. If you do not have a fire extinguisher, or the fire is too large to fight (larger than a household waste basket), leave the house and call the fire department. Do not use water on the fire as it conducts electricity and you could be shocked.

To learn more about extinguishers and get first-hand experience using one on a real fire, take advantage of one of our group training classes, offered by appointment. Request a date for your group by completing the online program request form at www.wtwp.com.

Article Credits: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, is a 32-year veteran of the fire service. A Certified Fire Protection Specialist through the National Fire Protection Association and a member of several similar safety organizations. Perkins is the Fire Marshal for the Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making and fire and life safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Visible House Numbers Important for Emergencies

Guest — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:22:19 +0000

Most fire departments have detailed maps of the neighborhoods they protect and are familiar with the locations of streets, commercial buildings and hydrants within their jurisdiction.

Because emergency response crews need to find addresses as quickly as possible when called, they often rely on house numbers for quick reference. If the numbers on your home are not easy to find or read, it will take longer for crews to reach you. Victims of heart attack, stroke, or choking need immediate care. Minutes can mean the difference between life and death.

House numbers should meet the following requirements:

• Must be Arabic numerals. Fancy numbers or numbers that are spelled out may be aesthetically pleasing but are very difficult to read from the street.

• Need to be a minimum of four inches high and in a contrasting color to their immediate background. Brass or bronze numbers are difficult to see in the day or nighttime.

• Must be displayed on the front of the dwelling and visible from the street.

• If the dwelling is located more than 45 feet from the front lot line, the number should be displayed on a gate post, fence, mailbox, or other appropriate place that will make it visible from the street from all directions when approaching from the street.

• Cannot be obstructed by shrubs, trees, decorations, etc.

Take a moment to look at your house number. Make sure your numbers follow the above guidelines. It will help emergency crews find you easier and faster.

For more information about the requirements for house numbers in the City of Dublin, Ohio, consult the City’s building code ordinance #150.125 (Manner of Numbering and System) and the Washington Township Fire Code Section 505.1 (Address Numbers).

Images: Courtesy of Google Images

Know and Test All Exit Routes

Guest — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 21:16:40 +0000

About 3,000 people die every year in home fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Most fatal home fires begin at night while we are asleep. Unprepared for the effects of the smoke, disoriented from being awakened abruptly and frightened, many people make poor decisions for escape and haven’t identified and tested all their escape routes. Your family will have a better chance of escaping safely from a fire if they practice a home fire escape plan, know how to stay low and crawl under smoke the nearest exit, and are able to locate and use multiple emergency exit routes.

In most homes and apartments, emergency exits are usually windows and stairways. Make sure windows can be opened and screens and storm windows can be removed from the inside. Confirm that children can operate the window locks and know how to get out quickly. If they cannot get out, they should know to wait for help at the window, where firefighters can see them.

If bedrooms are on the second floor, have a folding escape ladder available and practice putting it in the window. Non-combustible escape ladders that have been tested and listed by an independent testing laboratory are available from most hardware stores. Don’t count on being able to create a ladder by tying bed sheets together. There is usually not enough time or enough bed sheets nearby and jumping from a second story window can cause severe injuries.

If you live in an apartment or condominium and enclosed stairways are your emergency exits, practice finding these in the dark. Count the number of doors from your bedroom to the exit stairway. You probably won’t be able to see the lighted exit sign above the doorway through the smoke. Keep the doors to all exit stairways closed to help prevent smoke from entering your escape route.

Generate as many different escape routes for your family as possible and practice all of them at least twice a year. Always choose the escape route that is safest, the one with the least amount of smoke and heat. When you do your fire drill, everyone should practice getting low and going under the smoke to your emergency exit. Practicing can help reduce your family members’ response time, an important factor in a fire situation. When time is short, fast action is needed.

If your family does not have a home fire escape plan, contact the Washington Township Fire Department at 614-652-3920 for information.

Images: Courtesy of Google Images and www.nfpa.org/…/ ClearEscapeRoutes.jpg

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. Live Safe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. Live Safe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Focus on Fireworks Safety

Guest — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 03:54:50 +0000

Every year in the United States, we celebrate the Fourth of July with community parades, picnics, barbecues, and fireworks – the things of which happy memories are made. But sadly, Independence Day also includes tragic events resulting from fireworks use. The safest way to enjoy them is through public displays conducted by professional pyrotechnicians hired by communities. Learning fireworks safety tips can help ensure that everyone has a happy and safe summer holiday.

By the Numbers: Fireworks

* 30,100: Estimated number of fires caused by fireworks each year

* 7,000: Estimated number of injuries caused by fireworks in 2008

* 7: Fireworks-related deaths occurred in 2008

* $34: million Amount of direct property loss caused by fireworks

Sources: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

Who is at Most Risk?

In 2008, U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 7,000 people for fireworks-related injuries. 70% of these injuries occurred between June 20 – July 20. Of these:

* 46% of injuries were to the extremities and 36% were to the head.
* 56% were burns, while 21% were contusions and lacerations.
* Two of 5 people injured by fireworks were under the age of 15.
* 62% of injuries were to males; 38% were to females.
* Devices such as sparklers, fountains, roman candles, and novelties accounted for 40% of injuries; firecrackers caused 18% of injuries.

DOWNLOAD:

2008 Fireworks Annual Report: Fireworks-Related Deaths, Emergency Department-Treated Injuries, and Enforcement Activities During 2008 (PDF, 300 Kb):http://www.cpsc.gov/library/2008fwreport.pdf

This report provides the results of the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission staff analysis of data on non-occupational fireworks-related deaths and injuries during 2008.

How and Why Do These Injuries Occur?

* Availability: In spite of federal regulations and varying state prohibitions, many types of fireworks are still accessible to the public. Distributors often sell fireworks near state borders, where laws prohibiting sales on either side of the border may differ.
* Fireworks type: Among the various types of fireworks, some of which are sold legally in some states, bottle rockets can fly into peoples’ faces and cause eye injuries; sparklers can ignite clothing (sparklers burn at more than 1,000°F); and firecrackers can injure the hands or face if they explode at close range.
* Being too close: Injuries may result from being too close to fireworks when they explode; for example, when someone leans over to look more closely at a firework that has been ignited, or when a misguided bottle rocket hits a nearby person.
* Lack of physical coordination: Younger children often lack the physical coordination to handle fireworks safely.
* Curiosity: Children are often excited and curious around fireworks, which can increase their chances of being injured (for example, when they re-examine a firecracker dud that initially fails to ignite).
* Experimentation: Homemade fireworks (for example, ones made of the powder from several firecrackers) can lead to dangerous and unpredictable explosions.

Did You Know?

* 92% of the fireworks injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms involved fireworks that Federal regulations permit consumers to use.

* The tip of a sparkler burns at a temperature of more than 1,200 degrees – this is hot enough to cause third degree burns.

What Can I Do?

* The best way to protect your family is not to use any fireworks at home — period. Attend public fireworks displays and leave the lighting to the professionals.

* Kids should never play with fireworks. Sparklers can reach 1,800° Fahrenheit (982° Celsius) — hot enough to melt gold.

* Steer clear of others — fireworks have been known to backfire or shoot off in the wrong direction. Never throw or point fireworks at someone, even in jest.

* Don’t allow kids to pick up pieces of fireworks after an event. Some may still be ignited and can explode at any time.

* Think about your pet. Animals have sensitive ears and can be extremely frightened or stressed on the Fourth of July. Keep pets indoors to reduce the risk that they’ll run loose or get injured.

Links:

Consumer Product Safety Commission: Fireworks Fact Sheet:
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/012.html

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control: Fireworks-Related Injuries:
http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Fireworks/fireworks-factsheet.html

National Fire Protection Association: Fireworks
http://www.nfpa.org/categoryList.asp?categoryID=297&cookie_test=1

For additional information, please download this PDF from USFA on Fireworks and Fire Safety: www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/…/jun_2010_fireworks.pdf

Article Credits: FEMA, U.S. Fire Administration

When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors

Guest — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:00:27 +0000

Did you know that all thunderstorms produce lightning and lightning can strike as far as ten miles away from any rainfall? Many deaths from lightning occur ahead of the storm because people wait to the last minute before seeking shelter. According to the National Weather Service, 34 people were killed by lightning last year. Hundreds more were struck and survived, suffering life-long injury and or permanent disability.

If you are outdoors and see lightning, move indoors to a completely enclosed building or into a hard-topped vehicle and close the windows. Avoid being in or near high places and open fields, isolated trees, unprotected gazebos, car ports, pavilions, tents, shelters, baseball dugouts, flagpoles, light poles, metal or wood bleachers, metal fences, and water. Don’t hold on to metal items such as golf clubs, umbrellas or tools.

To determine how far a thunderstorm is from you, use the 30-30 Rule. When you see lightning, count the number of seconds that pass until you hear thunder. If you hear thunder within 30 seconds of seeing lightning, the storm is within six miles. Seek shelter immediately. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before leaving shelter.

If you are at home when a storm is expected, unplug major or unnecessary appliances such as televisions and air conditioners, as power surges can damage appliances beyond repair. Avoid using corded phones or any electrical appliances.

Lightning can enter your home as a direct strike, through wires or pipes that extend outside your home (i.e. water, gas pipes), or through the ground. Once it makes it into your home, the current generated by the lightning strike can travel through electrical lines, plumbing, phone lines, radio or television reception systems. Flexible gas line is more susceptible to lightning damage than iron pipe. Look, listen and smell for gas leaks and any evidence of a fire. If the fire is small (smoldering) and in a remote location such as the crawl space, basement, or attic, you may not be able to see flames but you can often smell or see smoke.

If you detect any unusual odors or see any smoke, call 9-1-1 immediately.

National Lightning Safety Awareness Week is June 20-26. Take a few minutes this week to make sure your family members know what to do when they are outside or at home and hear thunder. Don’t wait for the rain to begin to take shelter. A comprehensive list of safety tips and other lightning resources are available at http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov.

Images: Courtesy of Google Images

Yield to Emergency Vehicles

Guest — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:41:51 +0000

In a crisis situation, it is imperative that emergency responders arrive as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, many are delayed by motorists who don’t yield the right of way, causing serious accidents and increasing the time it takes emergency personnel to reach the scene. Because every second counts in an emergency, even a brief delay can mean the difference between life and death for someone.

There are many reasons why drivers fail to yield. Some are not paying attention to traffic behind them as well as in front of them. Some cannot hear the siren because their car stereo’s volume prohibits it or their attention is on a cell phone conversation. Some may not know what to do when an emergency vehicle approaches.

When an emergency vehicle responding to a call approaches:

Pull to the right and stop. State laws requires all drivers to yield the right-of-way by immediately driving, if practical, to a position parallel to, and as close as possible to, the right edge or curb.
Always make sure all public safety vehicles have passed before proceeding.

Be sure to check your rearview mirror before pulling back into the travel lane.
Don’t block any intersection. If it is not possible or safe to clear the intersection, move as far as possible away from the center of the intersection.

It is extremely frustrating for the driver of an emergency vehicle to try to navigate moving cars and blocked intersections. Although it may pose a temporary inconvenience for travelers, yielding to vehicles on emergency calls is critical. It could be your loved one they are trying to reach.

Images: Courtesy of Google Images

Babysitters Need to Know About Fire Prevention

Guest — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:18:28 +0000

Dublin, OH – Babysitting can be a great way to earn money. But, with the job comes a responsibility to know how to prevent injuries and keep those you watch safe. You can protect yourself and the children for whom you are responsible from fire and burns if you become familiar with important household details and know what to do if you encounter a fire or burn situation.

Familiarize yourself with the babysitting location, learning all the exit and smoke alarm locations. Make sure you know how to lock/unlock and/or open all doors and windows. Be sure to have a listing of all emergency numbers and a number where the parents can be reached. Also, make sure you know the location of a neighbor who will be home while you are there. Make sure you know where the family’s meeting place is in the event of an evacuation.

If you smell smoke, hear a smoke alarm, or see flames, get out of the house immediately.
Go directly to a previously agreed upon meeting place. Never go back inside for any reason.
If you encounter smoke while escaping a fire, use another exit route. If you must pass through smoke, crawl on your hands and knees, keeping your head near the floor (12”- 24” above the floor) where the air is cleaner.
Lead the way and make sure the children follow.
Take the children to a neighbor’s home and call 911.
Don’t hang up until the 911 operator tells you it’s OK to hang up.
If clothing catches fire, extinguish it by stopping, dropping to the ground, and rolling.
Running is often a child’s first reaction to fire, so babysitters may have to assist children with the stop-drop-and roll process.

Preventing accidents in the kitchen can help prevent many burns.

Never leave the kitchen area while cooking until you have turned everything off.
Keep pot handles turned inward so they are less likely to be bumped or grabbed while on the stove.
Never put anything in the microwave unless you are absolutely sure it is safe.
Read and follow all food package directions before microwaving.
Be careful when removing covers from microwaved food.
Escaping steam can cause severe burns.
Make sure food is sufficiently cooled before serving it to children.
The best first aid for burns is to run cool water over the burned area for 10-15 minutes.
If a burn blisters or appears charred, get medical help immediately.

Babysitting requires constant attention. Avoid phone conversations and other activities that distract you. It takes only a few seconds for a child to strike a match or grab a hot pot handle.

Images: Courtesy of Google Images

Live Safe partners with the U.S. Fire Administration’s Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign

admin — Mon, 24 May 2010 06:03:38 +0000

Dublin, Ohio – The Live Safe Foundation is proud to announce the support and partnership in the U.S. fire administration’s Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign – encouraging residents to install smoke alarms and sprinklers.

More than 3,000 people die in home fires each year in the United States; most of whom are in homes without a working smoke alarm. To prevent these deaths, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is sponsoring a nationwide Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign designed to raise awareness about how working, properly installed smoke alarms can lower a person’s chances of dying in a fire. The Live Safe Foundation is supporting this critical effort to reduce injuries and the loss of life.

The USFA’s Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign is aimed at encouraging Americans to practice fire safety by installing and maintaining smoke alarms and residential fire sprinklers, which can help save the lives of residents and fire fighters, practicing fire escape plans, and performing a home safety walk-through to remove fire hazards from the home. The campaign is promoting fire safety through a free Campaign Toolkit disc; educational materials; print, radio and television PSAs; children’s materials, community organization-sponsored events and a consumer-friendly campaign Web site.

“Live Safe is proud to be a partner with the USFA in this very relevant campaign. Far too many people have died in fires as a result of not having working smoke alarms or sprinklers. One person killed in a home fire is just too many,” said Melissa Falter, Live Safe Foundation spokesperson. “Together, we can educate our communities and help save lives.”

“If a fire breaks out in your home while you’re asleep, how will you know? Having a working smoke alarm is like having a fire safety official on duty in your home, 24 hours a day.” said Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator Glenn A.Gaines. “Working smoke alarms will alert you to the fire and we know conclusively, a residential sprinkler system can help put the fire out.” Gaines adds, “Smoke alarms and sprinklers are able to provide residents the time it takes to get everyone out of the house, before firefighters have to come in.”

When both smoke alarms and fire sprinklers are present in a home, the risk of dying in a fire is reduced by 82 percent, when compared to a residence without either. According to the National Fire Protection Association, between 2003-2006, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

The USFA offers a few helpful tips on smoke alarms and sprinklers:

Place properly installed and maintained smoke alarms both inside and outside of sleeping areas and on every level of your home.
Interconnected smoke alarms are best, because if one sounds, they all sound.
Get smoke alarms that can sound fast. The U.S. Fire Administration recommends that every residence and place where people sleep be equipped with both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms or dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors.
If possible, install residential fire sprinklers in your home.

Inspect and test smoke alarms monthly and change alkaline batteries at least once every year, or as instructed. You can use a date you already know, like your birthday or when you change your clocks as a reminder.
Avoid painting or covering the fire sprinkler, because that will affect the sensitivity to heat.

The Live Safe Foundation is supporting the USFA’s Install. Inspect. Protect Campaign by distributing information.

Double Click on the “black box” below to listen to PSA:

Organizations in partnership with the U.S. Fire Administration’s Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign include the American Fire Sprinkler Association, Burn Institute, Everyone Goes Home, Fire and Emergency Manufacturers and Services Association, Fire Department Safety Officers Association, Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, Home Safety Council, International Association of Black Professional Firefighters, International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services, NASFM Fire Research and Education Foundation, National Association of Hispanic Firefighters, National Association of State Fire Marshals, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, National Fire Protection Association, National Fire Sprinkler Association, National Volunteer Fire Council, and SAFE KIDS Worldwide.

For more information on the Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign and other fire prevention information, please visit www.usfa.dhs.gov/smokealarms. To learn more about Live Safe’s local campaign activities, please feel free to contact www.live-safe.org.

Install. Inspect. Protect.

Smoke Alarms Save Lives

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. LiveSafe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. LiveSafe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Keep Your Cool This Summer

Guest — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:53:34 +0000

Working or playing in hot temperatures can trigger a variety of medical emergencies. Everyone is susceptible to heat related illnesses in a warm environment, even athletes in superb condition. Heat illnesses occur when the body’s own cooling mechanisms become overloaded. During the dog days of summer, it is especially important to pay close attention to symptoms that could indicate a heat-related emergency and know how to treat them before they become critical.

Heat cramps are muscular pains and spasms that occur when the body loses electrolytes like calcium and sodium. These minerals are needed by the body to perform a variety of functions and are lost with water in perspiration. Heat cramps usually begin in the arms, legs or abdomen, and often worsen without treatment. Treatment is to rest in a cooler place, lightly stretch the affected muscle and drink water. If individuals suffering heat cramps are not treated, their condition could progress to heat exhaustion.

Heat exhaustion victims will perspire profusely and are most likely to be pale with a body temperature near normal (98.6°F). Treatment involves resting in a cooler place, removing or loosening any tight-fitting clothing, and applying cool, wet cloths to exposed areas, especially the head. If the person is conscious, give cool water to drink. Let the victim rest in a comfortable position and watch carefully for changes in his or her condition. If left untreated, heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke.

Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related injury. It occurs when the brain has lost its ability to send messages to the body to regulate temperature. Those suffering from heat stroke have dry, hot, red skin, extreme confusion, a rapid, weak pulse, shallow breathing, temperatures as high as 105°F, and may lose consciousness. Heat stroke victims need professional emergency care quickly. Call 9-1-1 immediately! While waiting for help to arrive, have the person lie down in a cool place with their legs elevated. Loosen or remove sweat-soaked and tight-fitting clothing. Apply cool cloths or ice packs to the armpits, wrists, ankles and groin. Offer cool water only when the person is fully conscious.

Remember, both people and pets can suffer a heat-related injury. Reduce the risk by following these tips:

Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing.
Slow down. Avoid strenuous activity in the sun, particularly during the hottest part of the day.
Drink plenty of water regularly. Hydration is especially important before and during any activity in hot temperatures. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drinks with caffeine or alcohol are not a substitute for water because they cause the body to lose more water than they contain.
Do not leave children or pets in vehicles in warm temperatures, even if the windows are open.
Make sure pets have plenty of water and areas of shade to which they can retreat.

Line of Duty” Author: Fire Marshal Alan Perkins, CFPS, is a 32-year veteran of the fire service. A Certified Fire Protection Specialist through the National Fire Protection Association and a member of several similar safety organizations. Perkins is the Fire Marshal for the Washington Township Fire Department, Dublin, Ohio. For more information, contact: Leslie Dybiec, Public Information Officer Phone: (614) 652-3928 Fax: (614) 766-2507 or ldybiec@wtwp.com.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. LiveSafe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. LiveSafe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.

Mulch Fires Common in the Landscape

Guest — Thu, 06 May 2010 18:36:10 +0000

Mulch is widely used in Central Ohio landscapes for both aesthetic and functional purposes. Many homeowners and businesses apply mulch in the spring to help slow the loss of soil moisture during the hot summer months, discourage weeds, and maintain a tidy appearance. There are now many mulches on the market made from a wide variety of materials including ground rubber, pine needles, oat straw, shredded hardwood and cypress bark, pine bark nuggets, shredded pine bark, composted leaves, brick chips, ground recycled pallets–dyed mulches wood, and even cocoa shells.

While mulch can be beneficial in landscape applications, it can also pose a fire hazard. Mulch fires are one of the more common calls the fire department answers during the warm months of the year. These fires are usually caused by cigarettes, matches and other smoking materials that are tossed on the ground before people enter a building or into the median from drivers. Some types of mulch are more easily ignited than others. Typically, mulches that are high in oils such as pine bark and shredded cypress bark, are easiest to ignite according to a study conducted by The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute. Dyed mulches that are commonly processed from pallets can also readily catch fire. In contrast, cocoa shells, medium pine bark nuggets, and hardwood bark were three organic mulches that were tested in the study and found to be more ignition resistant.

Beware of Mulch fires common in landscaping.

To keep mulch fires out of the landscape:
* Do not discard cigarettes or other smoking materials on the ground, in playground areas, or throw them out of your vehicle.
* Ensure proper clearance to electrical devices such as decorative lighting by following the manufacturer¹s instructions.
* Maintain a minimum of a six-inch clearance between landscaping mulch beds and other combustible items such as buildings, shrubs, etc.
* Use non-combustible mulch such as rock or pea gravel around the gas meter and next to combustible portions of a structure.
* Maintain mulch at a depth of two to four inches to eliminate the chance of spontaneous combustion.

Do you have a fire prevention, fire, or life safety question for the fire department? Submit it to fireinfo@wtwp.com.

Live Safe Foundation is an Ohio based non-profit organization (501c3), and leading grassroots movement, devoted to making fire safety education, awareness initiatives and life saving tools available on a broad basis to communities, campuses, and institutions in an effort to reduce national fire fatalities and fire losses. LiveSafe aims to help finance fire safety education where means are otherwise unavailable. LiveSafe is developing and sponsoring programs to help groups find the resources needed to advance individual and community fire safety.