October is Fire Prevention Month, which means it is the best time to ensure your family knows how to prevent fires. It is also time to get your emergency plan ready, in case of a fire. Keep these fire prevention facts in mind when organizing an emergency plan.

• S. Fire departments responded to 370,000 home structure fires in 2011, which caused 2,520 deaths, 13,910 injuries, and $6.9 billion in direct damage.
• The leading cause of home fires and fire injuries is cooking, followed by problems with heating equipment.
• Almost three out of five deaths that were the result of a home fire, were in homes that did not have any smoke alarms or that had smoke alarms that did not work.
• Having properly working smoke alarms in your home can cut the risk of dying in a fire by 50 percent.
• Only one-third of Americans have practiced and developed an escape plan with their family for a fire in their home.
• Children that are under the age of five have a much higher risk of non-fire burns that are associated with cooking and hot foods or drinks.
• In 2011, two out of five of the microwave injuries seen at an emergency room were scald burns, according to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.
• Although clothing was the first item that was ignited in less than 1 percent of all home-cooking fires, these incidents were the cause of 15 percent of all cooking fire deaths.
• Almost 50 percent of all fire deaths caused by home heating problems were caused by heating equipment that was too close to flammable objects, such as clothing, bedding, or mattresses.

October is the best time to look over your homeowners’ insurance policy to ensure that you have the right amount of coverage, in case of a fire. Contact Steve Wilk Insurance in Lombard, Illinois for all of your homeowners’ insurance needs.