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Fire Line

News and events from the Seattle Fire Department

Firefighter Story Times at your Local Library

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Northeast Branch
6801 35th Ave N.E.
Tuesday, October 2
10:30 a.m.

Central Library
1000 4th Ave
Thursday, October 4
10:30 a.m.

Columbia Branch
4721 Rainier Ave S.
Wednesday, October 10
11:00 a.m.

Madrona-Sally Goldmark Branch
1134 33rd Ave
Thursday, October 11
11:00 a.m.

High Point Branch with Fire Chief Gregory Dean
3411 S.W. Raymond St
Tuesday, October 16
1:30 p.m.

West Seattle Branch
2306 42nd Ave S.W.
Wednesday, October 17
10:30 a.m.

Queen Anne Branch
400 W. Garfield St.
Thursday, October 18
11:00 a.m.

Rainier Beach Branch
9125 Rainier Ave S.
Wednesday, October 24
2:00 p.m.

Greenwood Branch
8016 Greenwood Ave N.
Friday, October 26
10:30 a.m.

Lake City Branch
12501 28th Ave N.E.
Wednesday, October 31
10:30 a.m.

Get Out, Stay Out

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July 12–Would you know what to do if you had a fire at home? Most people do not think about such a thing happening to them. Seattle firefighters responded to over 300 residential fires in 2011.

Here are a few steps to help you prepare:

Have a plan
1. Every family member should be included in the plan. Young and old may need help to escape.
2. Mark two ways out of every room and include windows.
3. Pick an outside meeting place for everyone to gather.
4. Practice your plan, especially with children. Make sure everyone can hear and recognize the sound of the smoke alarm.

If the smoke alarm sounds:

1. Fire spreads quickly. Get out fast and stay out.
2. If possible, close doors to confine the fire.
3. If you encounter smoke, crawl under it to your exit.
4. Go to the meeting place and call 911 as quickly as possible.
5. Once out, stay out. Do not go back for anything.

If you can’t escape:

1. If smoke or fire blocks your first exit, try your second escape route.
2. If you can’t escape, you will need to seek refuge inside a room with a window. Consider escape ladders for any 2nd or 3rd floor bedrooms.
3. Close all doors between you and the fire. Use towels or bedding to seal the door cracks to keep smoke from coming in.
4. If possible, call 911 to report your exact location.

For more information, http://www.seattle.gov/fire/pubEd/homesafety/fireEscapePlan.htm

New Community Fire Safety Advocates

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Arson Awareness Week 2012 Focuses on Preventing Youth Firesetting

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KIDS CAN HAVE A BURNING CURIOSITY

Theme for Arson Awareness Week 2012 is Preventing Youth Firesetting

Most children have a curiosity when it comes to fire. The initial curiosity can expand to more destructive and potentially deadly outcomes when children experiment with fire. Parents and caregivers can do a lot to prevent a child or youth from playing or experimenting with fire.

Click here to view the most powerful fire prevention tool every parent can use.

WHAT CAREGIVERS CAN DO

Teach children what fire is really like.

Real fire isn’t like the fires on TV or in the movies. Real fire is hotter, darker, and faster than most people realize, especially children. Be aware of how fire is used in the television shows and advertising your child watches. Help your children understand fire’s truly dangerous nature and they’ll be more likely to treat fire with respect.

Keep matches and lighters out of sight and out of reach.

Sadly, children can die in fires they set. Keeping matches and lighters hidden where kids can’t reach them is still one of the most effective methods of fire prevention. Even child-resistant lighters need to be kept out of reach and sight of children.

Keep a closer eye.

Children have a natural curiosity about fire. When they’re under your supervision, it is important to know what they are doing at all times. If you leave children to the care of other adults, be sure to discuss these important safety issues beforehand.

WHO CAN HELP

Many fire departments, including the Seattle Fire Department, have programs which provide fire safety education and intervention for children and youth who have unsafely used or experimented with fire. To learn more about the Seattle Fire Department’s Fire Stoppers Program, click here.

Ballard Chimney Fire causes $65,000 in Damage says Seattle Fire Investigator

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Photo Courtesty: John Odegard

November 3—An early morning fire inside a Ballard home was caused by heat from a smoldering fire according to a Seattle Fire Investigator. At 2:10 a.m, a 911 caller reported flames coming from a chimney. The fire grew and began burning the inside of a two-story home located at the 28 hundred block of NW 61st Street in Ballard.

Engine Company 18 arrived to find the occupants safely outside of the home and the fire burning into the attic. Within 5 minutes, Seattle Firefighters knocked down the fire and began placing tarps over the resident’s valuables to save the items from water damage.

A Seattle Fire Investigator is calling the fire an accidental fire caused by heat from a smoldering fire in the fireplace which ignited adjacent walls.

The damage estimate is set at $65,000 to the structure and the contents. The occupants decided to stay at a friend’s home for the morning.

As we head into the cooler Fall days and Winter months, the Seattle Fire Department’s Public Education Unit encourages residents to have chimney and heating systems inspected, cleaned and repaired. Public Educators stress to never leave a fire unattended.

In 2009, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says 17,910 Americans were taken to emergency rooms for injuries related to fireplaces, chimneys and chimney connectors.

Nationally in 2008, $246 million dollars in property damage was reported due to fireplace, chimney and chimney connector fires according to the (NFPA).

Investigators say Unattended Candles to Blame for Fire

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October 12– Seattle Fire Investigators determined unattended candles are responsible for an early morning fire near the University of Washington campus.

Around 1:00 a.m. Engine 17 arrived to find flames coming from the second floor of a two-story duplex with a basement. Fire arriving engines discovered all of the residents had self evacuated from the building at the 22 hundred block of NE 46th Street.

Firefighters mounted an aggressive interior attack on a second floor unit and were able to knock down the flames in less than 10 minutes.

Fire investigators say the fire cause was accidental but the damage estimate was 50 thousand dollars to the structure and 20 thousand dollars to the contents.
Fortunately there were no injuries.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), every year in the U.S, candle fires caused an average of 166 deaths, 1289 injuries and 450 million dollars in property damage. The NFPA estimates more than one third of home candle fires occur in the bedroom and 12% of the homes candle fires occurred when residents fell asleep.

The Seattle Fire Department’s Public Education Unit encourages residents to always put candles in candlesticks before you light them. Also, don’t use lit candles near flammable decorations and curtains. Never leave candles unattended or within the reach of young children.

Seattle Firefighters & Paramedics to Reward Kids for Wearing Helmets

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This summer, several Seattle Fire Stations and the Seattle Fire Department Bike Medics will be issuing Bicycle Safety Citations to children who are properly wearing their helmet while bicycling, skateboarding or inline skating. Each citation entitles the child to a free child-size sandwich at participating Subway locations. The goal of the program is to reduce the incidence of childhood head injuries.

 

According to the National SAFE Kids Coalition, head injury is the leading cause of death in bicycle crashes and is the most important determinant of bicycle-related death and permanent disability. Head injuries account for more than 60 percent of bicycle-related deaths, more than two-thirds of bicycle-related hospital admissions and about one-third of hospital emergency room visits for bicycling injuries. The single most effective safety device available to reduce head injury and death from bicycle crashes is a helmet.

 

A Seattle Firefighter talks to kids about helmet safety.

A Seattle Firefighter talks to kids about helmet safety.