Smoke Alarms & CO Detectors

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside each bedroom, and outside sleeping areas. Install carbon monoxide (CO) detectors within 15 feet of every sleeping room. Test all alarms monthly by pressing the test button.

Replace batteries at least once a year — a good reminder is when you change your clocks. Replace the entire alarm unit every 10 years (check the manufacture date on the back). Combination smoke/CO units are acceptable.

Illinois law requires working smoke and CO detectors in all residences. If you need help obtaining or installing smoke alarms, contact the Fire Prevention Bureau.

Home Fire Escape Planning

Draw a floor plan of your home showing two ways out of every room. Choose a meeting place outside — like a mailbox or a specific tree — where everyone gathers after escaping. Practice your plan at least twice a year, including at night.

In a fire: get low and go. Feel doors before opening — if a door is hot, use your second way out. Once you're out, stay out. Never go back inside for belongings or pets. Call 911 from outside.

Families with infants, older adults, or members with mobility limitations should assign a helper and practice the plan together.

Cooking & Kitchen Safety

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires. Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling, or broiling. If you're simmering or baking, check regularly and keep a timer running.

Keep anything that can burn — oven mitts, towels, food packaging — at least three feet from the stovetop. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, slide a lid over the pan and turn off the burner. Never use water on a grease fire. For an oven fire, close the door and turn off the heat.

Seasonal & Holiday Safety

Winter: Have furnaces and chimneys inspected annually. Keep space heaters at least three feet from anything that can burn and plug them directly into a wall outlet — never an extension cord. Never use an oven or stove to heat your home.

Holidays: Water live Christmas trees daily and discard them promptly after the season. Check light strings for fraying or damage before hanging. Never leave candles unattended — use battery-operated alternatives when possible.

Summer: Keep grills at least 10 feet from the house and any structure. Check propane connections for leaks with soapy water. Never grill in a garage or enclosed porch.

Kids & Fire Safety

Teach children that matches and lighters are tools for adults, not toys. Explain the sound of a smoke alarm and what to do when they hear it: get low, get out, go to the meeting place. Practice escape plans regularly so the steps become automatic.

If your child's school or group would like a fire safety presentation or station tour, the Bureau is happy to schedule one.

Pet Fire Safety

Pets are curious and can accidentally start fires. Flameless candles eliminate open-flame risk. Cover or remove stove knobs — the NFPA reports that stove or cooktop fires are the number-one type of fire started by pets. Keep pets away from space heaters.

Place a pet-alert window cling (available free from most local fire departments and the ASPCA) on a front-facing window so firefighters know animals are inside.