DELPHOS — The Delphos Fire Department is teaming up with State Farm and the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week™ campaign, “Fire Won’t Wait. Plan Your Escape.™.”

This year’s campaign, October 9-15, works to educate everyone about simple but important steps they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe.

“Today’s homes burn faster than ever. In a typical home fire, you may have as little as two minutes (or even less time) to safely escape from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Your ability to get out depends on early warning from working smoke alarms and advance planning,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of the Outreach and Advocacy division at NFPA.

Local State Farm agent Bryan Weimerskirch encourages all residents to actively support this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign by developing and practicing a home escape plan with all members of their household. Weimerskirch recently donated a Fire Prevention Week kit to the fire department, which includes activities and information for children and adults, providing age-appropriate messages about home fire safety and prevention.

“Fire safety education isn’t just for school children. Fire presents real risk to all of us, making it important for every member of the community to take these messages seriously and put them into action,” said Weimerskirch. “Keeping people safe is a large part of the State Farm heritage and who we are today.”

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the United States, starting almost half of all fires. Heating is the second highest cause, followed by electrical systems/lighting equipment and intentional fires. Smoking is the fifth highest cause, but is the leading cause of civilian home fire deaths.

Candles are also a significant cause and are responsible for approximately 20 home fires reported every day.

Follow these tips from the National Fire Protection Association:

— Be alert. If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the oven or stove.

— Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you need to leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the oven or stove.

— If you are simmering, baking, roasting or boiling food, check it regularly. Remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.

— Keep your stovetop clear of anything that can catch fire, including oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains.

If a cooking fire starts:

— Be prepared. Keep a lid nearby when you’re cooking on the stovetop. If a small grease fire occurs, smother it by sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the stove and leave the pan covered until it has completely cooled.

— For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed.

— Whenever fighting a fire, be sure others leave and that you have a clear way out.

— If the fire continues or grows, get out immediately! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.

— Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number after you leave.

— Consider replacing older space heaters with new ones that turn off automatically when overheated or tipped. Keep them at least three feet away from anything flammable.

— Have furnaces and chimneys professionally cleaned and inspected every year.

— All fireplaces should have a sturdy screen. Never use flammable liquids to start a fire in a fireplace. Allow ashes to cool completely and use a metal bucket for disposal.

— Have your home inspected by a qualified electrician, especially when purchasing an older home.

— Use a qualified electrician when having electrical work done.

— Watch for the warning signs of faulty wiring. These can include blown fuses, visibly damaged wiring, discoloration around outlets, flickering lights or burning odors.

— Protect your home against arc faults. An arc fault occurs when an electrical short produces an arc: intensely hot sparks that can set fire to nearby flammable materials. Arcs often happen in appliance or extension cords that have become frayed or cracked.

— To prevent arc faults, have Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs) installed in your home. These devices look and work like conventional circuit breakers. When an AFCI detects an arc, it shuts off the circuit.

— Power surges can damage appliances and even cause fires. Protect your home with a two-tiered surge protection system: a whole house surge protection device (SPD) on the main electrical service to the home, and point-of-use SPDs for all valuable electronics and appliances.

— Smart sensor devices can help detect the invisible dangers lurking in your home.

Each year, candle fires account for hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage and hundreds of unnecessary injuries and deaths.

— Only burn candles under constant supervision.

— Keep burning candles a minimum of one foot away in all directions from flammable and combustible items.

— Keep candlewicks trimmed to within one-quarter (¼) inch from the top of the candle.

— Do not allow candles to burn down to the bottom of their container.

— Extinguish all candles before leaving the house or when going to bed at night.

— Place candles in safe locations, out of the reach of children or pets.

— Only place candles on secure furniture that is unlikely to tip over.

— State Farm encourages homeowners to make fire prevention an important part of their overall home safety plan.

— Make sure your home escape plan meets the needs of all your family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.

— Smoke alarms should be installed inside every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of your home. Smoke alarms should be interconnected so when one sounds, they all sound.

— Know at least two ways out of every room, if possible. Make sure all doors and windows open easily.

— Have an outside meeting place a safe distance from your home where everyone should meet.

— Consult with your local fire department on an appropriate fire extinguisher for your home to help protect your family in the event of a fire.

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