Pet Fire Safety

 July 15th was National Pet Fire Safety Day. This is a topic that has hit pretty close to home. 

Two years ago when we were in a stage 2 evacuation (be ready) for two very large wild fires near us. It prompted us to talk about what to do in the event we have to evacuate. We have four cats and it's rare they are all in the same room at the same time. How will we get them in the care safely? 

And last night the house down the street from us caught fire. Fortunately everyone escaped, but what do you do when you have a pet?

Here are some of the things we've done and recommendations by the experts. 

Prevention - 

• Make sure your pets are nowhere near anything that can burn.

• Can they reach stove burner knobs? Cover them or take them off.

• Do not leave candles burning unattended - ever. 

• Keep fireplace screens on a fire at all times. Never leave the fire unattended in case any kind of ember or spark jumps out. 

• Take a walk through your home. Is there anything that could be a potential hazard? Remove it or protect it. Statistics show that more than 1,000 fires a year are started by pets that are home alone. 

Planning - 

• Include your pets in your families emergency plan. Include them in your practice runs.

• Keep a decal in your window that tells the fire fighters you have pets in the house - a necessity if you aren't home when the fire start. We have one that can be changed in the event we add a pet or lose one. 

• Have your pet microchipped and make sure all the information is current. If they get lost during all the commotion this will help to find them. 

• Make sure you know where your pets like to hide. This will help you retrieve them quickly to get out fast. 

During the Fire - 

• Grab your pet and carriers or leashes. In all the comotion they will try to run. We have two large cat carriers that are quick to grab and two cats will fit in each of them. My husband does one and I do the other.

• In the event you are unable to find your pets, you must to the hardest thing and leave anyway. Your safety and the safety of your human family should be your top priority. 

Our pets are part of our families. With wildfire season here and the potential for home fires all around us, it's important to remember these furry friends rely on us to keep them safe.