Remembering These 26 Fire Safety Tips is as Easy as your ABC’s

Maine has seen four fire-related fatalities in the first 5 weeks of the year, so it's time we all review some basic fire safety tips.

The top causes of house fires in Maine are probably heating systems, electrical issues, smoking materials, and cooking mishaps. (not necessarily in that order) While we can't totally prevent the possibility that a fire might break out, there are some things we can do to be better prepared when it does.

I started making out a list of safety tips that I've learned from many years of interviewing firefighters but, I thought, these aren't really very interesting. They're not going to catch someone's attention or help them to remember. So what can I do to make them more memorable? Well, we all remember our ABCs, right? Okay, occasionally I have to run through the song in my head to remember if H comes before J. But I have a basic working knowledge of the letters and the order in which they're listed. So why don't I do the same thing with fire safety tips?

Putting the list together was challenging. I mean, seriously, what fire-related word can be associated with the letter Z? (you have to wait to find out) I think my coworkers may have been tempted to call the fire department because of the amount of smoke coming out of my ears. But, eventually, it all came together and the ABCs of Fire Safety was born. I hope it helps you remember some of the tips if you should ever need them, including the ones about what to do if you're in a fire. Here's hoping that you never do.