Fire Safety and Prevention

The Boerne Fire Department is committed to fire safety and prevention in the community. Read through the life-saving information on this page to learn the importance of installing smoke detectors and establishing a home escape plan. You will also learn tips to prevent fires while cooking, using heaters, using fireplaces and maintaining your property for grass fires. For more information about fire safety and prevention, contact the Fire Department at 830-249-3644.

Install a Smoke Detector

The first step in fire safety is installing a smoke detector in your home. The early warning of a working smoke detector provides crucial seconds that can save lives. Remember to change batteries in the spring and in the fall when you change your clock for daylight savings time. Contact the Fire Department to assist you with properly installing a smoke detector in your home.

Establish a Home Escape Plan

Family members should discuss what to do in case of a fire. An organized step-by-step plan is essential to ensure a safe escape. Use the steps below to develop a fire safety and escape plan for your home.

Know two ways out

Discuss and diagram two ways out of every room, especially bedrooms. Doors are the primary and windows are the secondary ways of exit. Make sure everyone knows how to unlock all locks and quickly open all windows and doors.

Choose a meeting place

Have a place outdoors for everyone to meet for roll call. Make sure someone is assigned to call 911 from a neighbor's house, pay phone or cellphone.

Get out fast

Exit as quickly as possible. If it is smoky, get down low and stay low. Crawl as quickly as possible. Once outside, go to the family meeting place.

If you are trapped

Put closed doors between people and smoke. Stuff cracks and cover vents to keep smoke out. Wait at the window and signal with a flashlight or sheet.

Upstairs

If a dwelling has more than one level above ground, we recommend the use of a portable escape ladder in an emergency evacuation. If you do not have a portable ladder, hang a sheet, shirt, or some type of flag out the window for the rescuers to see. Do not jump unless there is immediate danger of being burned or overcome by smoke.

Do not go back inside

Make sure everyone in the family understands the importance of not going back inside a burning building for any reason. Someone who goes back in may not come back out.

Practice exit drills

Practice in the home or apartment. Appoint someone to sound the alarm and time the drill, making sure everyone uses the second escape route, gets low and goes. Most fatal fires occur at night when everyone is asleep, so everyone should start the drill in his or her bedroom.

  • Close the door and wait for the monitor to sound the alarm.
  • Get out fast and go to the meeting place, where the monitor will then take a head count and review the drill, and discuss any problems with escape routes.
  • Practice crawling fast and staying low to escape smoke. Smoke rises while clean air stays low near the floor, so get down and crawl, maintaining contact with the walls while heading to the nearest exit.
  • Test the door using the back of your hands. In a real fire, if it is hot, take your second way out. If the second exit is not an option, brace a shoulder against the door and open it carefully, being ready to close it quickly if heat or smoke rush in.

Learn Fire Prevention

The best way to stay safe from fire danger is to prevent them altogether. Click on the different tabs below to learn how to prevent and respond to specific fire incidents in your home.

  1. Cooking
  2. Fireplaces
  3. Heaters
  4. Grass Fires

Cooking

Careless cooking is one of the leading causes of residential fires in Texas and the nation. This results in hundreds of thousands of dollars in property loss and numerous injuries each year and sometimes deaths.

  • Should a pan fire occur, use a fire extinguisher, baking soda, or a tight fitting lid to extinguish the fire. If the fire has spread beyond the pan, get out immediately and call 911.
  • Never use flour or water to extinguish a cooking fire. Flour is combustible and water can spread the fire.
  • Keep pan handles turned inwards so they aren't accidentally bumped or grabbed by children.
  • Do not wear clothing with loose sleeves while cooking. Make sure there aren't any combustible objects on or near the stove.
  • Be sure to remove any food or grease that spills inside the oven.
  • If there is a fire in the oven, turn off the oven and allow the fire to die down before opening the oven door.
  • After extinguishing the fire, be sure to relight the pilot flame or shut off the gas to the appliance.
  • If a fire breaks out in a microwave oven, keep the door closed and unplug the unit. Don't try to remove burning containers from a microwave.