The theme for fire prevention week in Lexington is “fire won’t wait, plan your escape.” Fire Department Battalion Chief Jordan Saas said a residential fire doubles in size every minute, so occupants may have only about two minutes to get out. Saas said the overnight period often becomes a dangerous situation if fire breaks out.
“We recommend that people sleep with their doors closed because a closed door buys time. And there’s a fire prevention theme and an educational push out there for close before you doze which again stresses the importance of closing doors while you sleep,” said Saas.
Saas said be sure to plan an alternate escape, such as out a window, if heat or smoke block normal exits.
The Lexington firefighter noted the vast majority of fires in the home are tied to some type of cooking. But, he added overloaded electrical outlets and poorly positioned auxiliary heaters can also cause fires.
In addition to houses and apartments, Saas said it’s important for businesses to make fire safety a priority.
“So, it’s important that commercial businesses pay attention to the, I guess, mechanical side of things. Smoke alarms, sprinkler systems, doors aren’t blocked, early notification, easy access to fire hydrants and other fire-related equipment,” said Saas.
The battalion chief said Lexington experienced nine fire-related deaths and 134 injuries during 2021. Saas added some of those fire fatalities were vehicle-related.
