Click Here
Wednesday May 22 2013
Juneau: 50°F
Now in Digital HD on Ch. 5.1!
Latest Alaska headlines from KTUU.com » Graphic Photos Shown On Day 2 of Jones-Nelson and Harris Trial » AFD: Sunrise Grill Burglarized Before Weekend Fire » German Mount McKinley Climber Dies after Heart Attack » Former Alaskan Missing on Florida Keys Boating Trip » Parnell Signs Bills on Oil Tax, Budgets » Former APD Officer Faces Records Misconduct Charges » Kulluk Coast Guard Hearing: Panel Collects Details of Shell Towing Procedures » Alaska Pacific University Approves Tuition Cut » ADFG Reduces Bag and Possession Limit for Razor Clams » Coast Guard Begins Hearing for Kulluk Marine Casualty Investigation » Military Announces Third Anchorage Sexual Abuse Case This Month » Bail Denied for James Wells in Kodiak Coast Guard Murders » Kenai Woman Wins Nenana Ice Classic Again » Money Stolen after Village Bingo Hall Burglarized » Grown Up: Young Adults Recall Their Life in Foster Care » Judge's Decision Called a Win for Yupik Fishermen » Nenana Ice Classic Tripod Has Latest-Ever Fall » No Signs of Missing Snowmachiners in Kotzebue Search » Minor Flooding Reported in Fort Yukon » Pavlof Volcano's Ash Prompts Flight Cancellations » Dimond Center Affected by Brief Power Outage » State Announces Plan to Assess Oil & Gas at Refuge » Do Iliamna Lake Seals Warrant an Endangered Species Listing? » State's Request for Waiver from Education Law Approved » Pavlof Volcano Eruption Ongoing, Ash Up to 22K Feet » Interior Alaska: Flooding Damages Homes in Circle » Man Believed Dead after Stolen Kayak Overturns » Alaska Among Five States to Receive Money For Tsunami Relief » Weather Hampers Search for 2 Snowmachiners near Kotzebue » No Injuries After Small Plane Crash Lands at Goose Bay Airport » DOT to Install Rumble Strips on Richardson and Parks Highway » Sutton ATV Rider Suffers Serious Head Injuries » Kenai Borough to Assess Nikiski Groundwater » Trial Due to Begin in Juneau Baby Death » Man Found Dead on Construction Site in Fairbanks » Alaska Air National Guard Members Receive Silver and Bronze Stars » Outdoor Death Near Mulcahy Stadium Not Suspicious, APD Says » Anchorage Sets New Record for Longest Snow Season » Long Winter Stalls Area Parks Improvements » Hundreds Walk in March of Dimes Charity Event on Snowy Morning » Spenard Farmer's Market Kicks Off 4th Season » Coast Guard Sets Hearing for Kulluk Grounding » Alaska Gold Miners Remain Optimistic Despite Dropping Gold Prices » Copper River Salmon Arrives for Consumers in Anchorage » Late Spring Delays Palmer Farmers, Anchorage Growers Remain Optimistic » Infant's Death Following ATV Crash Under Investigation » Yukon River Breakup Causing Flooding in Eagle » Juneau Empire Names New Publisher » Man Accused in Kodiak Coast Guard Killings Wants Release » Late Season Snow Takes Aim on Southcentral » Snow, Cold Delay Opening of Denali Highway » Coast Guard Finds Safety, Fishing Violations During Boarding » Anchorage Bike to Work Day Takes Place Today » Alaska Unemployment Rate Falls Again » Missing Teen from Eagle River Found Alive and Well » Man on Cheney Lake Ice Taken into Custody » Renovation Work to Start on Alaska Capitol » Pavlof Volcano Continues to Erupt With Lava, Ash » Sled Dog Could Face Death After Attacking Toddler » Bethel Woman Gets 22 Years in Death » Troopers Investigate Man's Death near Tok » Police Arrest 2 Homer High Students in Fake Bomb 'Prank' » Alaska Ferry System Considers Raising Rates » State to Recover $376K in Medicaid Case » Man Missing from Anchorage Airport Found in Talkeetna » Man Crashes Car into Tree, Remains in Critical Condition » Interior Department Releases Draft Rules on 'Fracking' » Renovation Work to Start Soon on Alaska Capitol » Agency to Consider Alaska Lake Seals as Threatened » APD Seeks Suspect in Eagle River Drug-Deal Shooting » Late Spring Sparking Flood Concerns in the Valley » Annual Motorcycle Training Courses are Ready to Roll » Five Alaska Guardsmen First to Summit Denali This Year » Juneau Picks New Police Chief » Firearm Found at Valdez Middle School » UAF Bethel Campus Hosting Suicide Alertness Event Friday » Bethel Officials, Businesses Weigh Impact of Tobacco Tax » Forest Service Dedicating New Lab in Juneau » ATV Crash Leaves Palmer Man in Critical Condition » Wasilla Man Injured in Pickup Truck-Bicycle Collision » Bean's Cafe Announces New Executive Director » Ash Plumes Rise from Pavlof Volcano » Illegal Kills End Unit 23 Musk Ox Hunting Season » One of the Latest Snows Ever? » Burger Index Not Good News for Alaska, Hawaii Cities » Flags to be Lowered Today for Peace Officers » Firefighting Exercises Set for Anchorage Airport » Man Faces DUI Charges in Car-Coffee Stand Crash » NTSB Urges Drunk Driving Legal Limit Lower to .05 Percent » Anchorage Airport Now Offers Non-Stop Service to Iceland » Local Air Carrier To Begin Scheduled Passenger Service In Bush Alaska » Proposed Palmer Dump Stirs Up Toxic Debate » Budget Cuts Threaten Real-Time Tracking Of Active Alaska Volcanoes » APD Officers Identified in Muldoon Shooting » Trapper Creek Man Dies in Head-on Collision » New Group Launches Support Campaign for Oil Tax Reform » Gas Prices in Anchorage Up 10 Cents Per Gallon » Minor Lava Flows Detected on 2 Alaska Volcanoes
Home News Weather Contact Southeast Spotlight FAQ
Most fires preventable
Published: 11/08/2012 19:00:00
"If it's predictable it's preventable. And if it's preventable, it's not an accident. You know, a lot of people chuckle about it, but if you think about it, there's a lot of sense to that" says Capitol City Fire/Rescue Fire Marshal Dan Jager.

He adds "If you can predict something from happening, then you can prevent it. And if you can prevent something from becoming a disaster, then it's not really an accident. And we find, at least in the fire service, most accidents that we respond to; they were preventable and predictable."

The recent fires around town serve as a dramatic reminder to check some simple things to help keep your home safe from fire.

"The thing we see a lot is that with wood stove fires, we find that the owners haven't really done the proper maintenance for their chimneys; the annual cleaning. Some places you know people burn wood all year round, so they need to clean more frequently. So simple things like cleaning the chimney, making sure that's operational" says Jager.

Boilers pose a similar potential risk according to Jager: "If you have a boiler unit in your house; have it serviced every year just to make sure that everything's burning properly with the fuel oil. Plus, not only that, but it makes it more efficient so there might be some cost savings in doing an annual maintenance like that."

He told use that it's important to keep portable heaters away from flammable materials, and like candles, be sure they are off when you leave the room. Limit the use of extension cables which are designed for temporary use only, and make sure circuits aren't overloaded.
CCFR recommends that smoke detectors should be tested at least twice a year when you adjust your clocks for daylight savings.

It's also a good idea buy and regularly inspect a fire extinguisher as it can go a long way to stopping a disaster in it's tracks according to Jager: "There's been server fires the last couple of years were home owners or a neighbor had an extinguisher nearby and they were able to knock down or extinguish the fire completely before it got out of control."

The fire department prefers to spend their time helping prevent fires to fighting them, and they offer free chimney cleaning supplies and more information on fire safety including free home fire assessments. Just give them a call at 586-5322 or contact them online at their website linked below.

http://ccfr.net/

By: Mikko Wilson - mikko@kath.tv

It's not just TV when it features you and your community

©2013 - North Star Television Network