Here in Wheeling, fires are more common than you might think, but there are many things you can do to protect yourself and your home.

“I would say the main cause of house fires originate in the kitchen due to unattended cooking,” said Captain Jason Milton. 

The best way to prevent this is to pay attention when cooking and not leave the stove unattended. 

A great way to protect your home is to make sure you have working smoke detectors in every room of your house. They should be interconnected, so if one goes off, they all do. You should also be careful when charging devices like phones and computers.

“Charging of battery-powered devices should be monitored and on a surface that allows heat to disperse. Phones and other electronic devices should not be charged on a bed, couch or chair, and should not be left to charge overnight,” Chief Inspector Deric Jamison said.

You can also make sure to use candles safely, using sturdy bases so they don’t tip over and keeping them away from windows.

“Candles must always be extinguished when leaving the room, like cooking, never leave a burning candle unattended,” said Jamison.

Keeping your door closed at night is another great way to stay safe, as the door can slow the spread of fire and smoke.

“I…always sleep with the bedroom door closed. A closed bedroom door can slow fire and smoke from getting into your room until the detectors sound the alarm,” Jamison said.

“If your house has natural gas appliances like a stove, water heater, or furnace, you should have a carbon monoxide detector,” said Milton.

You and your family should have a spot, a safe distance from your home, to report to incase of an emergency.