Top 10 Fire Safety Tips for Chicago Homeowners
Nasutsa Mabwa
April 7, 2015Unlike David Letterman’s
popular Top 10 lists
, there’s nothing funny about the following 10 fire prevention tips.
These useful strategies, from the fire damage restoration professionals at ServiceMaster Restoration by Simons, could spare you the devastating effects of a house fire. Carefully review the tips, discuss them with your family over dinner, and put them into action.
10. Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home. Test the alarms monthly, keep them free of dust, and replace their batteries at least once a year.
9. Place fire extinguishers near high-risk areas, such as the kitchen. Review the instructions and teach your family members how to use them.
8. Give the pots and pans on the stove your undivided attention when cooking. If the telephone rings or a family member needs assistance, shut the stove off and remove the pot or pan from the heat.
7 .Follow all manufacturers’ safety precautions for large and small appliances. Immediately shut off and unplug appliances that sputter, spark or emit an unusual odor. Replace them or have them professionally repaired.
6. Smoke outside and douse cigarette butts with water before disposing of them.
5. Switch from traditional candles, among the most common sources of home fires, to battery operated ones.
4. Refrain from placing extension cords under rugs, over nails or in high-traffic areas, and replace when them they’re worn or frayed. Use one plug per receptacle.
3. Secure a sturdy metal screen in front of a wood-burning fireplace to prevent hot ash from escaping. Let ashes cool before disposing of them in a metal container.
2. Keep anything combustible at least 3-ft. away from portable space heaters and shut them off before leaving the room or going to bed.
And the number one fire safety tip for Chicago homeowners... (drumroll)
1. Inspect and maintain the primary heating source in your home, whether it’s a gas or oil-fired furnace, wood stove, or electric baseboard heating.
If you’re the unfortunate victim of a devastating house fire and you live in the Chicago area, call the compassionate and highly skilled
fire damage restoration professionals
at ServiceMaster Restoration by Simons. Using the industry’s most advanced products, equipment and procedures available, we’ll get you and your household back to normal as quickly as possible.
Contact us today
!
Nasutsa Mabwa is the CEO and co-owner of ServiceMaster Restoration By Simons, a certified MBE/WBE firm proudly serving Cook, DuPage, and Lake Counties in Illinois. Under her leadership, the company has become one of Chicagoland’s most trusted providers of disaster restoration services, including water and flood damage restoration, fire and smoke damage cleanup, and mold remediation for residential and commercial clients.
A recognized civic and business leader, Nasutsa is a recipient of the 2020 Daily Herald Business Ledger C-Suite Award, a Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 honoree, and a 2018 ServiceMaster® Achiever Award recipient. She currently serves as a Civic Federation Board Member, an Advisory Board Member, and is the Past President of the Executive Committee for the Evanston Chamber of Commerce. She is a proud member of the WPO - Women's President Organization.
Nasutsa holds IICRC certifications in Water Damage Restoration (WRT) and Fire & Smoke Restoration (FSRT), bringing both strategic leadership and technical expertise to every project.
She is also the co-author of RESTORE: A Complete Guide to Protecting Your Home As Your Most Valuable Asset from Water and Fire Disasters — a practical, accessible book for homeowners based on real-world experience in the restoration industry.
Subscribe
Subscribe now for expert tips, rapid-response insights, and restoration guidance delivered straight to your inbox. Whether you’re recovering from fire, water, or mold damage, stay prepared with advice from the trusted pros at ServiceMaster Restoration by Simons.
Restoration and Recovery Tips
Get Help Now
Flooded basement? Burst pipe? Don’t wait—water damage spreads fast. ServiceMaster Restoration By Simons provides 24/7 emergency water damage cleanup for Chicagoland and North Shore homes. With 40+ years of local expertise and IICRC-certified crews, we’ll protect your property and start the restoration immediately.
(773) 376-1110
(773) 376-1110
