How to Protect Your Pets:

• Include pets in your family fire escape plan. Also make sure to have a disaster supplies kit ready and in a safe place that is easy to get to in case you need to leave your home.
• When practicing your family fire escape plan, practice taking your pets with you. Train them to come when you call for them.
• In the event of a disaster, if you have to evacuate, the most important thing you can do to protect your pet is to evacuate them too. However, never delay escape or endanger yourself or family to rescue a family pet.

Preventing Your Pets from Starting Fires:

The National Fire Protection Association estimates that nearly 1,000 home fires each year are accidentally started by the homeowners' pets.

• Extinguish open flames - Pets are generally curious and will be drawn to cooking appliances, candles, or even a fire in your fireplace. Ensure your pet is not left unattended around an open flame and make sure to completely extinguish any open flame before leaving your home.
• Remove Stove Knobs - Be sure to remove stove knobs or protect them with covers before leaving the house - a stove or cook top is the number one piece of equipment involved in your pet starting a fire.
• Invest in Flameless Candles - These candles contain a light bulb rather than an open flame, and take the danger out of your pet knocking over a candle. Cats are most likely to start fires when their tails turn over lit candles.
• Secure Young Pets - keep them confined away from potential fire-starting hazards when you are away from home such as in crates or behind baby gates in secure areas.

Safety Tips:

• Pets are curious. They may bump into, turn on, or knock over cooking equipment. Keep pets away from stoves and countertops.
• Keep pets away from candles, lamps and space heaters.
• Always use a metal or heat-tempered glass screen on a fireplace and keep it in place.
• Keep pets away from chimney's outside vents. Have a "pet free zone" of at least three (3) feet or one (1) meter away from the fireplace. Glass doors and screens can stay dangerously hot for several hours after the fire goes out.
• Consider battery-operated, flameless candles. They can look and smell like real candles.
• Some pets are chewers. Watch pets to make sure they don't chew through electrical cords. Have any problems checked by a professional.
• Never go back inside for pets in a fire. Tell firefighters if your pet is trapped.

_{Information gathered from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the American Red Cross}