General
Fire Safety
Information

 

  SUMMER FIRE SAFETY TIPS FROM THE

BELLEVUE FIRE DEPARTMENT

 The Bellevue Fire Department would like to offer the following suggestions on how to make this summer season both enjoyable and fire safe:

 BARBECUES

  The use of barbecues accounts for several needless fires within the city every year.  Make sure that you clean and inspect your barbecue before you use it.  If you have a gas barbecue, take the time to check the hose and fittings to insure they are tight and not worn or broken. Clean the unit and remove excess grease. Never use a barbecue indoors and be sure to keep the unit clear from the eaves and the sides of your home, condominium, or apartment unit.  The gas should be turned off at the tank after every use.

 If using Charcoal briquettes with your barbecue, remember to place used briquettes in a metal container and soak them with water.  Do not put them in a paper bag or leave them on a wood deck, because coals can retain enough heat to start a fire days after they have been discarded.

 SMOKING

People who smoke cigarettes, cigars, or pipes, should properly dispose of these materials in a metal container after they have been soaked in water.  Please do not discard cigarettes or other smoking materials in beauty bark or along the roadway in dry grasses or shrubs.  When conditions are dry, these discarded items will start a fire.

 WILDLAND/URBAN INTERFACE FIRES

  The urban interface areas of our city, where homes and forested areas come together, provide peaceful surroundings and privacy. But they also come with an added responsibility for protecting your home and property from the chance of a wildfire.  Due to potential drought conditions, the Bellevue Fire Department recommends that all residents be extra cautious this summer with regard to outdoor fire prevention by taking the following preventative measures:

 ·         Mow lawns regularly, and keep gutters free from debris such as dead limbs, leaves, and dry pine needles.  Keep trees trimmed away from all structures and up from the ground.  Remove all dead plants, trees, and shrubs.

 ·         Stack firewood at least 30-feet away from your home.

 ·         Store gasoline, oily rags, and other flammable materials in approved safety cans.  Place cans in a safe location away from the base of buildings or next to wooden fences.

 ·         Regularly dispose of newspapers, rubbish, and other combustible materials stored next to or underneath structures.

 ·         Landscape your property with fire resistant plants and vegetation to prevent fire from spreading quickly.  Create a defensible space by thinning trees and brush within 30-feet of your home.

 ·         Maintain an easy access for emergency vehicles, and make sure your address is clearly visible from the street.

 ·         Make sure water sources, such as a fire hydrant; are accessible to the fire department. 

 ·         Do not drive any vehicles in tall grassy areas.  The exhaust system under a vehicle gets very hot and may ignite any dry material it comes in contact with.

 ·         Clear a 10-foot area around propane tanks and outdoor barbecues.

 GENERAL INFORMATION

 ·         The Bellevue Fire Department offers free blood pressure screening at Fire Station #9, located at 12412 SE 69th Way.  No appointment is necessary for a firefighter to assist you.  For directions, please call (425)-452-6892.

 ·         Enroll in a free CPR class this summer by calling the Bellevue Fire Department at (425)-452-6892.

 If you would like more information about summer fire safety or injury prevention, please contact the Lt. Todd Dickerboom, Community Liaison Officer at  (425)-452-6995. 

Prevention:  preventing a tragedy from happening

Cooking
  • The most common cause of fire in the home
  • Unattended cooking -  leaving the kitchen with items on the stove or other cooking appliances
  • Grease fires on the stove:
  • Always have a matching lid on hand to slide over the pan
  • Never attempt to move or carry to the sink or through water on it
  • Have a fire extinguisher available within reach

Electrical
  • Turn off all electrical appliances before leaving the home or retiring for the night

Heating
  • Keep all combustibles a safe distance from heating devices
  • Space heaters - 3 feet minimum
  • Forced air wall heaters - 3 feet minimum
  • Radiant heating devices - 1 foot minimum
  • Have your furnace/wall heaters checked and cleaned annually

Candles
  • Use candles in a solid base to prevent tipping over
  • Keep candles and other ignition deices, matches and lighters, in safe places out of reach of children and pets

Fire Places
  • Have your chimney cleaned/inspected annually if you burn
  • Utilize a screen at all times when burning in fireplace
  • Empty your ashes in a metal container - ashes can ignite combustibles several days later
  • Keep away from any combustibles
  • Fill container with water
Preparedness: for when it happens

Smoke Detectors
  • Test to see if it works
  • Clean it periodically - dust or vacuum
  • Change the batteries every six months - when you change your clocks
  • Replace any detectors older than 10 years

Escape Plan
  • Plan ahead - have at least two escape routes from every level of your home and be able to evacuate in 2 minutes - close doors on your way out
  • Escape ladders
  • When there is smoke - crawl - keep low to the floor
  • Have a designated meeting place outside