Fire Marshal shares tips for National Pet Fire Safety Day

MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — Monday is National Pet Fire Safety Day, and local firefighters have safety tips on how to protect pets.

Finding a place where your pets are safe in your home is a priority for most pet owners, but fire officials say one of the best places is near a front door.

“That’s where fire departments are going to make their first entry, so if they make the entry there and see a pet that’s in a crate, that’s going to be our primary focus right there is to get that pet out of the house,” Madison County Fire Marshal Don Friddle said.

Friddle says it’s important to plan ahead and have an escape route in mind.

“Incorporate everybody that is in that house, especially the young children,” Friddle said. “If you have a pet, you’ll make sure that that pet knows how to react and that you can round him up pretty quick.”

Friddle says to also keep an eye on your pets around flammable materials.

“There’s over 1,000 fires a year that are started by pets knocking over candles,” Friddle said. “That’s something that people can be aware of.”

If you do burn candles, Friddle says to make sure those candles are secure and out of reach of pets. During colder weather, watching pets is even more important if you run space heaters in your home.

“Majority of the fires that are started by pets are actually started on cooktops,” Friddle said. “If you have a cat, the cat can step on those knobs and turn them, or if you have even a dog.”

Friddle says on average families only have two to three minutes to escape a house fire without getting seriously injured.