Plain-English guides to health, Medicare and money after 60

Bonivitas
Home & Safety

Fire Safety at Home: Smoke Alarms and Escape Plans

Older adults face a higher risk of dying in home fires. Working smoke alarms and a practiced escape plan are the most important protections. Here is what to do.

By the Bonivitas editorial team

Updated

3-minute read

White smoke detector next to a home security camera and light bulbs on a tabletop
Smoke alarms should be tested monthly and replaced every 10 years. Photo: Pexels

Key takeaways

  • Install smoke alarms on every level, inside each bedroom and outside sleeping areas.
  • Test alarms once a month and replace them every 10 years.
  • Plan and practice two ways out of every room.
  • Cooking is the leading cause of home fires; stay in the kitchen while cooking on the stove.

Adults 65 and older are at higher risk of dying in a home fire than the general population. Reduced mobility, hearing or vision loss and medicines that cause drowsiness can make it harder to notice a fire and get out quickly. The good news: working smoke alarms and a simple plan greatly improve your chances.

Smoke alarms

  • Where: on every level of your home, including the basement, inside every bedroom and outside each sleeping area.
  • Test them once a month by pressing the test button. If reaching the ceiling is unsafe, ask a family member or neighbor, or use a broom handle.
  • Replace batteries as the manufacturer recommends, or choose alarms with sealed 10-year batteries.
  • Replace the alarms every 10 years. The date is printed on the back.
  • Consider interconnected alarms, so when one sounds, they all sound.

Alarms for people with hearing loss

Standard alarms may be hard to hear, especially when you are asleep without hearing aids. Special alarms use a strobe light, a bed or pillow shaker and a lower-pitched sound that is easier for many older adults to hear.

Carbon monoxide alarms

Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless gas from fuel-burning appliances, fireplaces, cars and generators. Install carbon monoxide alarms on every level and near sleeping areas, and test them monthly.

Make an escape plan

  • Know two ways out of every room, usually a door and a window.
  • Keep exits clear of furniture and clutter.
  • Keep glasses, a phone, a flashlight and a walker or cane by your bed.
  • If you use a wheelchair or walker, consider sleeping on the ground floor near an exit.
  • Pick a meeting place outside, such as a mailbox or a neighbor's porch.
  • Practice your plan at least twice a year, including at night.
  • Get out and stay out. Call 911 from outside. Never go back in.

If you cannot get out, close the door, put a towel under it, call 911 and signal from a window.

Prevent fires

Cooking:

  • Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or boiling on the stove.
  • Keep towels, pot holders and curtains away from burners.
  • Wear short or close-fitting sleeves.
  • If a pan catches fire, slide a lid over it and turn off the burner. Never use water on a grease fire.

Heating:

  • Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from space heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves.
  • Turn off space heaters when you leave the room or go to bed, and plug them directly into the wall.
  • Have chimneys and furnaces inspected yearly.

Smoking and oxygen:

  • Smoking is a leading cause of home fire deaths. If you smoke, smoke outside and never in bed.
  • Never smoke or allow open flames where medical oxygen is used. Oxygen makes fires burn hotter and faster.

Electrical:

  • Replace frayed cords, and avoid overloading outlets and power strips.
  • Do not run cords under rugs.

Fire extinguishers

A multipurpose (ABC) fire extinguisher in the kitchen can put out a small fire. Learn how to use it before you need it. If the fire is spreading or the room is filling with smoke, get out right away.

Sources

We checked this guide against these sources. Figures change, so confirm current amounts with the source before you act.

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