Top 4 Summer Fire Safety Tips for Apartments & Condos
Summer is here, which means spending more time enjoying the outdoors and celebrating graduations, weddings, birthday parties, and more. Between cookouts and increased summer-related equipment use, your multi-family residential properties are more vulnerable to fire damage.
Establishing warm weather fire safety protocols is essential to keeping your property and its residents safe. These tips will help you prepare and communicate to residents how critical fire safety is to ensure everyone enjoys the season.
Define Grill Rules
Most multi-family housing properties include community grills, and many residents have personal grills they use throughout the year.
Remind residents to keep all cooking equipment at least 10 feet away from any building structure, including decks, balconies, and storage units.
Ensure fire extinguishers are installed near community grilling areas and that residents know how to use them in a fire emergency. It’s also a good idea to post rules and safety measures.
Enforce Designated Smoking Areas
Cigarette and cigar butts, smoldering cigarettes, and dropped matches can quickly turn into flames that will grow if left unattended.
As residents spend more time outdoors with friends and family, a designated smoking area with multiple extinguishing receptacles is a must.
Advise residents via newsletters and signage that smoking on balconies or patios is forbidden.
Prohibit Fireworks
People love fireworks, but they should only be held in open areas away from residential buildings.
Setting off fireworks in an apartment or condominium complex is a recipe for disaster. In fact, fireworks start an estimated 19,500 fires per year, including nearly 2,000 structure fires.
Many local ordinances forbid residential fireworks, but you can still post reminders of these restrictions.
Regulate Community Fire Pits & Prohibit Bonfires
Any time you have open flames, there’s a huge potential for fire spreading.
Some buildings have communal fire pits, and the property maintenance team should regularly inspect and maintain them for safety.
However, residents should not build fire pits on balconies or patios as they could cause harmful fumes and smoke or spark nearby trash or clutter.
Fire Prevention Responsibilities for Community Managers & Residents
Help prevent fires from breaking out at your property and protect all your residents by keeping up with fire safety measures:
- Inspect fire alarms and alert residents when the tests will occur
- Inspect and maintain fire sprinklers
- Install grates for fireplaces or fire pits
- Ensure fire doors are always closed
- Test and maintain smoke alarms in each residence
- Supply fire extinguishers for each residence and ensure they’re recharged after use
Investing in these fire prevention tasks is an easy way to ensure everyone in your community can enjoy the summer months safe from the risk of fire.
Contact Foothill Fire Protection for Fire Protection You Can Trust
For over 25 years, Foothill Fire Protection has provided Northern California commercial property owners and community managers with comprehensive fire safety solutions, including emergency repairs, inspections, testing, and maintenance.
To learn more about all the services we offer or to schedule testing, maintenance, or an inspection of your fire protection system, contact us online or call (916) 663-3582.
