Smoke Alarms
Working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than 60%. Three out of five home fire deaths occur in homes with no alarm — or one that was not working at the time of the fire.
Where to Install
Install inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area (hallways), and on every level including the basement. Basement alarms should be at the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs. Keep alarms at least 10 feet from cooking appliances to reduce nuisance alerts.
Test & Replace
Test every alarm monthly using the test button. Replace batteries at least once a year — or immediately when you hear a low-battery chirp. Replace the entire unit every 10 years regardless of whether it still appears to function.
Interconnect All Alarms
When one sounds, they should all sound. Interconnected alarms give everyone in the home — especially those asleep in distant rooms — the earliest possible warning. Hard-wired interconnected systems are required in newly constructed homes.
All Household Members
Select alarms that meet the needs of everyone at home. Those with hearing impairments should consider strobe-light or bed-shaker units. Voice alarms — which announce "Fire! Fire!" — are more effective at waking children than standard beeping.
Never Disable Your Alarm
Removing batteries during cooking is a leading cause of fire deaths. Instead, briefly fan smoke away from the unit, or upgrade to a UL-listed alarm designed to reduce cooking nuisance alarms without disabling the device.
2024 Alarm Standard Update
New UL 217 8th-Edition standards (effective June 2024) improve detection of smoldering fires and reduce nuisance alarms from cooking. When it's time to replace old units, look for UL-listed photoelectric or dual-sensor models meeting the updated standard.
Free Smoke Alarms — Albemarle County
Albemarle County Fire Rescue offers a free smoke alarm installation program for residents who need them. Visit ACFireRescue.org or call 434-296-5833 to request a free inspection and installation.
Home Escape Planning
In a typical home fire you may have fewer than two to three minutes to escape once the smoke alarm sounds. Modern synthetic materials burn faster and hotter than older furnishings — a plan practiced in advance can save your life.
Draw Your Floor Plan
Map every room and mark at least two exits — typically a door and a window. Make sure all windows open easily and upper-floor windows have an accessible escape ladder. Note the location of every smoke alarm on the map.
Choose an Outside Meeting Place
Pick a visible landmark a safe distance from your home — a mailbox, tree, or neighbor's driveway. Every household member must know to go there immediately after escaping. Never re-enter a burning building for any reason.
Check the Door Before Opening
Before opening any door, feel the doorknob with the back of your hand. If it is hot, use your alternate escape route. If cool, brace yourself and open slowly — ready to close it again if heat or smoke rushes in.
Get Low & Go
Smoke is toxic and rises. Crawl low under smoke to keep your head 1–2 feet above the floor where the air is cleaner. Smoke inhalation kills faster than flames — every second counts once the alarm sounds.
Practice Twice a Year
Conduct home fire drills at least twice a year with the goal of evacuating within two minutes. Practice at least one nighttime drill — family members need to know how to respond when awakened from sleep by an alarm.
Call 911 From Outside
Once everyone is out, call 911 from a mobile phone or a neighbor's home. Tell the dispatcher immediately if everyone is safely outside. Never go back inside — let firefighters do that. Station 3 is here for that reason.
Close Your Bedroom Door at Night
Research from the UL Fire Safety Research Institute shows that a closed bedroom door can significantly slow the spread of fire, heat, and toxic smoke — potentially buying you critical extra minutes to escape. You can still hear an interconnected smoke alarm through a closed door.
Cooking Safety
Cooking is the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. The leading cause of kitchen fires is unattended cooking.
Stay in the Kitchen
Never leave frying, grilling, or broiling food unattended. If you must leave even briefly, turn the burner off. When simmering, baking, or roasting, stay in the home and check food regularly. Set a timer as a reminder.
Keep the Area Clear
Keep anything flammable — towels, oven mitts, paper towels, packaging, wooden utensils, curtains — at least 3 feet from the stovetop. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so they can't be bumped or grabbed.
Kid & Pet Free Zone
Maintain a 3-foot safety zone around the stove at all times. Never hold a child while cooking or carrying hot liquids. Keep pets off cooking surfaces and countertops to prevent them from knocking things onto a burner.
Wear Tight-Fitting Sleeves
Loose or dangling clothing can catch fire from a burner in an instant. When cooking, roll up or pin back loose sleeves. If clothing does catch fire: stop, drop, and roll immediately.
If a Grease Fire Starts on the Stove
- Slide a pan lid over the flames to smother
- Turn off the burner immediately
- Do not move the pan — leave lid on until fully cool
- Never throw water on a grease fire — it will explode
- Never carry a burning pan outside
- If fire spreads beyond the pan: get out and call 911
- Oven fire: turn off, keep the oven door closed
- Microwave fire: turn it off, keep the door closed
Stay Alert While Cooking
Never cook if you are drowsy, have consumed alcohol, or have taken medication that causes drowsiness. Inattention is a major contributing factor in kitchen fire injuries and deaths each year.
Electrical & Appliance Safety
Electrical fires account for thousands of home fires each year. Many are preventable with simple habits around cords, outlets, and appliances.
Major Appliances Direct to Wall
Always plug refrigerators, stoves, washers, and dryers directly into a wall outlet. Extension cords with major appliances can overheat and ignite. Unplug small appliances such as toasters when not in use.
Don't Overload Outlets
Insert plugs fully into sockets and never force a 3-prong plug into a 2-slot outlet. Do not daisy-chain power strips. If an outlet feels warm to the touch, stop using it and call an electrician — this is a warning sign of a wiring problem.
Clean the Dryer Lint Trap
Failure to clean the dryer is the leading cause of dryer fires — responsible for 31% of incidents. Clean the lint filter before and after every load. Have the exhaust duct professionally cleaned annually. Use rigid metal duct, not plastic accordion-style tubing.
Inspect Cords & Wiring
Replace any appliance with a cracked, frayed, or damaged cord. Use lightbulbs that match the recommended wattage for each fixture, and keep lamps away from anything flammable. Have older home wiring inspected by a licensed electrician if in doubt.
Don't Run the Dryer While Asleep or Away
Nearly 2,900 home dryer fires are reported each year. The NFPA advises against running a dryer while you are asleep or away from home — if a malfunction occurs, you need to be present to respond or evacuate immediately.
Fire Extinguishers
A fire extinguisher used correctly in the first 30 seconds of a small, contained fire can prevent a disaster. Know your extinguisher type, where it is stored, and how to use it — before you need it.
Class A — Ordinary Combustibles
For wood, paper, cloth, and similar everyday materials. The most common type for general home use.
Class B — Flammable Liquids
For grease, gasoline, oil, and oil-based paints. Keep a Class B extinguisher (or Class K in commercial kitchens) accessible near the stove.
Class C — Electrical Fires
For appliances and energized electrical equipment. The agent does not conduct electricity. Never use water on an electrical fire.
Multipurpose (A-B-C)
For most homes, a multipurpose dry-chemical A-B-C extinguisher is the best all-around choice. Mount one in the kitchen and one on every additional floor. Check the pressure gauge annually.
Use the PASS technique when operating a fire extinguisher on a small, contained fire:
Know When NOT to Fight the Fire
Only use an extinguisher if the fire is small and contained, you have a clear exit behind you, and the alarm is already activated. If the fire is spreading, the room is filling with smoke, or you have any doubt — get out and call 911. Your life is worth more than your property.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless, and invisible. It is produced by any fuel-burning appliance — furnaces, generators, gas stoves, fireplaces, vehicles. It can be fatal before you realize anything is wrong.
Install CO Alarms
Install CO alarms on every level of your home and outside each sleeping area. Many modern alarms combine smoke and CO detection. Replace CO alarms every 5–7 years per the manufacturer's instructions.
Never Run Engines Indoors
Never run a car, generator, lawnmower, or any fuel-burning engine inside a garage, shed, or enclosed space — even with the door open. CO builds up rapidly and can reach deadly levels within minutes.
Keep Vents Clear
Keep vents for your furnace, dryer, stove, fireplace, and all fuel-burning appliances clear of snow and debris year-round. A blocked vent forces CO back into your living space. Check exterior vents after every heavy snowfall.
Annual Appliance Inspection
Have your furnace, chimney, flue, and all fuel-burning appliances inspected and serviced by a qualified technician every year. Never use a gas oven, range, charcoal grill, or outdoor propane appliance to heat your home.
If Your CO Alarm Sounds
Do not try to find the source. Get everyone — including pets — out of the building immediately. Call 911 from outside. Do not re-enter until emergency responders tell you it is safe. Symptoms of CO poisoning include headache, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, and confusion.
Albemarle County Open-Air Burn Laws
Burning regulations in Albemarle County are governed by both Virginia State law and Albemarle County ordinance. Before any outdoor burn, know both. Violations can result in fines — and the person who starts a fire is liable for suppression costs if it escapes.
What Counts as Open-Air Burning?
Per Albemarle County Code, open-air burning is the burning of any material where combustion products are emitted directly into the atmosphere without passing through a stack, duct, or chimney. A standard campfire or backyard fire is considered open-air burning. A commercially-sold chiminea or enclosed fire pit with a ¼-inch or smaller metal screen top may be exempt if fully contained and in good working condition — but the fire must be attended at all times and all other safety rules still apply.
Property Maintenance Burning
- Leaves, tree trimmings, yard waste, and garden clippings from your own property
- Must burn only on your own premises — no material brought from elsewhere
- Must be at least 300 feet from any occupied building not on your property, unless the occupant has given permission
- Subject to Virginia 4 PM restriction Feb 15–Apr 30
- Fire must be attended at all times
Land Clearing / Debris Burning
- Brush, stumps, and clearing debris — permit required from the Fire Official
- Must be at least 2,000 feet from any occupied building (1,000 ft when using an approved incinerator device)
- Only between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM, Monday through Friday
- Prohibited February 15 through April 30
- Only when prevailing winds blow away from towns and built-up areas
- Brush and stumps only — no demolition materials
Bonfires
- Permit required — issued to the property owner only
- For ceremonial purposes only — not for waste disposal
- Maximum size: 5 ft × 5 ft × 5 ft
- Duration may not exceed 3 hours
- Permit valid only on the specific date(s) indicated
- Not available to contractors
What You May Never Burn
- Household trash, garbage, or refuse of any kind
- Recyclable materials — paper, cardboard, plastics
- Treated, painted, stained, or pressure-treated wood
- Tires, rubber, or synthetic materials
- Hazardous or toxic waste of any kind
- Demolition debris or construction materials
- Any material during an active county burn ban
Required Safety Practices for Any Outdoor Fire
- Fire must be attended at all times — never leave unattended
- Extinguish completely — do not allow fire to smolder beyond what is necessary
- Have water, a rake, and a shovel on hand before you light
- Burn only when winds are calm and blowing away from structures
- Extinguish immediately if wind picks up or conditions change
- Make sure your home's address number is visible from the road
- You are financially liable for suppression costs if the fire escapes
- Comply immediately with any county-issued burn ban
Burn Bans Can Be Declared at Any Time
The Albemarle County Fire Marshal can issue an emergency burn ban at any time due to drought conditions, high winds, or an active fire weather watch. During a ban, all open-air burning is prohibited regardless of permit status. Check current conditions at albemarle.org or call 434-296-5833 before any burn.