Garage Fire Prevention Safety

The garage is one of the areas in your house that poses different fire hazard risks, as there are flammable liquids, electric tools, and other factors that can lead to a home fire. According to the US Fire Administration, the leading cause of garage fires is an electrical malfunction. Other common causes of garage fires include flammable liquids and materials being stored to close to appliances or electrical equipment being used incorrectly or unsupervised. Help protect your home and family by preparing your garage with the right protection and following our garage fire safety tips.

Garage Safety Tips

Help prevent garage fires in your home by following these important fire safety tips:

• Store combustible liquids like oils, gasoline, paints, propane and varnishes in the approved, appropriate containers, preferably in a shed away from the home
• Don’t overload circuits
• Avoid clutter or debris in your garage, as it can be flammable and fuel fires
• Use electrical tools with caution
• Do not use grills or generators in the garage

Have The Right Fire Extinguishers for Your Garage

Having the proper fire extinguishers for your garage’s needs, knowing how to use them, and educating family members on what to do in the event of an emergency are the first steps to proper garage fire safety and keeping your home and family safe.

Garage Fire Extinguisher

• This garage fire extinguisher is ideal for flammable liquid and electrical fires, which are common fire hazards in garages
• It has an easy-to-install mounting bracket to place the extinguisher in an easy to access location

Auto Fire Extinguisher

• This extinguisher is small and compact so it can easily fit in a car, truck or other vehicle
• It is ideal to use on combustible liquid and electrical fires
• It has a mounting bracket to install and store the extinguisher in your car, truck, etc.

Being prepared with a fire extinguisher is important, but you also need to know how to use one. To use a fire extinguisher, remember the acronym P.A.S.S.:

• Pull (the pin on the extinguisher)
• Aim (at the base of the fire)
• Squeeze (the handle of the extinguisher)
• Sweep (from side to side)

It is not recommended to install smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in garages due to the temperature fluctuations, which could lead to false alarms. However, you should install smoke and CO alarms in your home on every level and in every bedroom to help provide your loved ones with an early warning in the event of a fire or CO emergency.