A fire chief's ounce of prevention for your home

The next time your smoke detector needs a new battery, consider this before you just pull it down to stop that annoying beep-beep-beep:

One day last week, St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue got a call from a woman whose smoke detector sounded the alarm that there was a fire somewhere around. She saw no fire, said Assistant Chief William Jolley, but called for help anyway.

Turns out there was a fire — at the next-door neighbor's house. And her smoke detector saved the day.

Sunday marks the start of Fire Prevention Week, an ideal time to evaluate your home to safeguard against disaster. A dramatic fire like the one Rick and Kerry Kriseman suffered made the news, but house fires are common. Nationally, fire departments go out on a call once every 79 seconds. Last year, Pinellas County firefighters went out on 7,210 calls. Statewide, there are more than 209 fires in Florida homes every day, according to the state fire marshal's office.

So even if you've got your plywood and bottled water neatly stashed for the next hurricane, you're not really prepared for domestic disaster if you don't have a fire plan.

The good news in these tough times is that there are plenty of fire safety steps that are cheap and even free. Here are tips based on information from Jolley, the state fire marshal's office and FEMA. For more, go to the National Fire Protection Association's special Web site: www.firepreventionweek.org.

Smoke detectors: Install them on every level and in every bedroom. Test them once a month, replace batteries at least once a year and replace detectors every 10 years.

Fire drills: Plan and practice escape routes, and designate a safe place to meet outside. It's free and easy, yet only 25 percent of U.S. families do it. Have kids pretend to call 911 and practice talking clearly and calmly. Practice Stop, Drop and Roll.

Don't ever smoke in bed: Smoking is the leading cause of residential fire deaths.

Keep matches AWAy from children: Lighters, gasoline and burning candles too. Try flameless, battery-operated candles; the new ones are convincing.

Doors: If you have keyed dead bolt locks, keep the key handy so you can get out fast. (For French doors, hang one from a thin wire next to the door inside, so it can't be seen from outside.) Make sure your house number is clearly visible so firefighters can find you.

Kitchen: Cooking is the leading cause of house fires (though smoking causes the most house fire deaths). Never leave hot pans unattended; grease fires happen literally in a flash. Consider a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

Garage: Keep combustibles (gasoline, kerosene) away from anything that could ignite.

Don't overload wall outlets and extension cords; if they feel hot, they could cause a fire. Don't run them under rugs or near fabrics. If outlets don't work properly — do breakers mysteriously trip? — call a licensed electrician right away. Much cheaper than an electrical fire.