As the old adage goes; an ounce of prevention…… Use common sense

• Extinguish open flames –Pets are curious by nature. If you leave on a stove burner, a lit candle or even the fireplace burning, it can be too enticing for your pet to ignore. The dancing flames and the crackle of the embers may draw the attention of your pet with devastating consequences.
   
• Remove stove knobs - Be sure to remove stove knobs or protect them with covers before leaving the house. According to the National Fire Protection Association, a stove or cook top is the number one piece of equipment involved in your pet starting a fire.
   
• Invest in flame-less candles – These candles utilize a light bulb instead of a flame.  They are becoming more and more realistic and are an excellent way of avoiding an open flame while still having ambient lighting. Cats are notorious for starting fires when their tails turn over lit candles.
   
• Beware of water bowls on wooden decks – Change your pet’s water bowls to stainless steel or ceramic. Your traditional glass bowl could filter the sun’s beam and, depending on the temperatures, could ignite the wooden deck or grass beneath the bowl.
   
• Holiday decorations – The candles in Jack-O-Lanterns, combined with spider’s webbing, could spell trouble.  The same is true with holiday candles and tree lights. Your pets could knock them over or even chew on the strings of lights. 

Keep your pets safe when you are away

• Keep pets close to entrances when away from home – The key is that you want them to be readily retrieved by a fire fighter or a helpful neighbor in case there is an emergency. Keep the leashes and collars close by as well. You want them to be removed as quickly as possible if the need arises.
   
• Consider upgrading to a home monitoring system - Pets can be trapped inside the burning home. You should already have smoke detectors in your home, but you may want to upgrade to a home monitoring service or at least a smoke de4ctot monitoring service. If you travel a lot, it can be an incredible relief knowing that someone is there to watch your pets when you cannot be there.
   
• Pet notification clings – Write down the number of pets you have in your house and affix the cling in a prominent location.  Use at least two of these. They are inexpensive and tell the fire fighter how many pets to look for. Make certain that you keep it up to date.
   
• Crate young pets – Keeping young puppies confined away from potential fire hazards is a good idea. Some pets may not be firebugs, but water-bugs instead.  One pet loved to chew through the water line to the toilet. After the third flooding, the lesson was learned! 

Just a few simple changes can add to the sense of relief you will feel having fire proofed your home. Now, kick back, scratch your pet’s ears and enjoy them!