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St. Joseph Charter Township Fire Department

Protect your home

Fire Safety

Seasonal safety tips from Station #1, updated automatically for the time of year and today's weather.

This season

November safety

Carbon monoxide: the invisible danger

Carbon monoxide (CO) has no color and no smell.

  • Install CO alarms outside sleeping areas and on every level.
  • If a CO alarm sounds, get everyone outside into fresh air, then call 911.
  • Headache, dizziness and nausea that improve away from home can be CO poisoning.
  • Have furnaces and fuel-burning appliances checked every year.

Run generators outside only

Generator exhaust can kill in minutes.

  • Never run a generator inside a home, garage or basement, even with the door open.
  • Keep it at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away from windows and doors.
  • Let it cool before refueling.
Learn more

Give space heaters space

Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires in winter.

  • Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from any heater.
  • Plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet.
  • Turn heaters off when you leave the room or go to bed.
  • Never use an oven to heat your home.

Chimneys and wood stoves

Creosote builds up inside chimneys and can ignite.

  • Have chimneys inspected and cleaned every year.
  • Use a sturdy screen in front of the fireplace.
  • Put ashes in a metal container with a lid, at least 10 feet from the house.

Candle safety

Candles cause home fires every year, especially around the holidays.

  • Keep candles at least 12 inches from anything that can burn.
  • Blow out candles when you leave the room or go to bed.
  • Consider flameless candles instead.

Holiday cooking

Thanksgiving is the peak day of the year for home cooking fires.

  • Stay home and check food often when cooking a turkey.
  • Use turkey fryers only outdoors, well away from the house and garage, and never on a deck.
  • Never put a frozen turkey in a fryer.
  • Keep children at least 3 feet from the stove.

Open burning: check first

Spring and fall bring the most grass and brush fires.

  • Check the burn status on our home page right before you light a fire.
  • Fires larger than 3 feet need a permit from the Fire Chief.
  • Burning leaves, trash and treated wood is prohibited in the township.
  • Never burn on windy or dry days, and stay with your fire until it is out.

Stay away from downed power lines

Assume every downed line is live.

  • Stay far away from downed lines and anything touching them.
  • Never drive over a downed line.
  • Call 911 and your electric company to report it.

Fall leaves

Burning leaves is prohibited in St. Joseph Charter Township.

  • Compost or mulch leaves instead of burning them.
  • Keep leaf piles away from vehicles, buildings and fire pits.

All year

Every home, every day

Smoke alarms save lives

Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire in half.

  • Put a smoke alarm inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level.
  • Test every alarm once a month with the test button.
  • Replace any smoke alarm that is 10 years old or older. The date is on the back.
  • Never pull the battery to stop a nuisance alarm. Open a window or fan the air instead.
Learn more

Make a home escape plan

A fire can make a home impossible to escape in just a few minutes.

  • Know two ways out of every room.
  • Pick a meeting place outside, in front of your home.
  • Practice your plan with everyone in the home twice a year.
  • Get out, stay out, and call 911 from outside.

Close before you doze

A closed bedroom door can hold back heat and smoke while you escape or wait for help.

  • Sleep with bedroom doors closed.
  • If you must stay in a room during a fire, close the door and put a towel along the bottom.
  • Call 911 and tell them exactly where you are.

Help us find you

Every second counts when we are looking for your home.

  • Make sure your house number is easy to see from the road, day and night.
  • Know your address and nearest cross street.
  • Stay on the line with the 911 dispatcher until told to hang up.
  • Turn on an outside light when you are expecting emergency help.

Stay in the kitchen

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires.

  • Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, boiling or broiling.
  • Keep towels, oven mitts and wrappers away from the stovetop.
  • If a pan catches fire, slide a lid over it and turn off the burner. Never use water on a grease fire.
  • Keep a lid nearby whenever you cook.
Learn more

Clean the dryer lint

Lint build-up is a common cause of dryer fires.

  • Clean the lint filter before or after every load.
  • Have the dryer vent cleaned out regularly.
  • Do not run the dryer when you are asleep or away from home.

Use cords and outlets safely

Overloaded outlets and damaged cords start fires.

  • Use extension cords only temporarily.
  • Never run cords under rugs or furniture.
  • Plug major appliances directly into a wall outlet.
  • Replace any cord that is cracked, frayed or warm to the touch.

Charge lithium-ion batteries safely

Phones, e-bikes, scooters and tools can catch fire while charging.

  • Use the charger that came with the device.
  • Charge on a hard surface, never on a bed or couch.
  • Stop using a battery that is hot, swollen, leaking or smells odd.
  • Do not charge e-bikes or scooters in the way of your exit.

Recalls

Fire-hazard product recalls

Recent recalls from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for products that can overheat, catch fire or cause burns. If you own one, stop using it and follow the recall instructions.

Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, updated automatically. All recalls · Report an unsafe product

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