U.S. Fire Administration

Fire Safety

Checklist

for Older Adults

FA-221/August 2002

Older people are at special risk

for death and injury from fires.

To protect yourself

and those you care about,

follow these seven tips:
Install and Maintain Smoke Alarms. Install working 

smoke alarms on every level of your home, especially 

near sleeping areas. Test and dust each alarm monthly, 

and change the batteries at least once a year.

Use Smoking Materials Safely. Never smoke in bed, 

while drowsy, or while under the influence of 

medication or alcohol. Use large, deep ashtrays 

for smoking debris, and let the contents cool 

before you dispose of them.

Pay Attention to Your Cooking. Keep 

pot handles turned inward, and 

keep cooking surfaces and 

surrounding areas free from 

clutterand grease buildup. Use pot holders and 

oven mitts. Never lean 

over a hot burner and avoid 

wearing loose clothing with 

flowing sleeves while cooking. 

Take a reminder with you (or set a 

timer) if you must leave the kitchen with food 

cooking on the range top.

Heat Your Home Safely. Have a professional 

service all heating equipment annually. 

Keep combustibles and anything that can 

burn or melt away from all heaters, furnaces, 

fireplaces, and water heaters. Never use a range 

or oven to heat your home.

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Practice Electrical Safety. Have a 

professional electrician inspect your home’s 

electrical wiring system at least every 10 years, and 

make recommended repairs. Never 

overload the electrical system. Plug 

each appliance directly into its 

own outlet and avoid using 

extension cords. Have an 

electrician install ground fault 

circuit interrupters (GFCIs) in 

rooms where water may be 

present. Install and maintain 

electrical appliances according to the 

manufacturers’ instructions.

Keep Matches and Lighters 

Away from Children. Store 

matches and lighters 

in a locked drawer or a high 

cabinet away from the reach of 

grandchildren or other youngsters. Make 

sure lighters are child-resistant.

Know What to Do in Case of Fire. Practice two 

ways out of every room in your home. Get out 

as soon as you discover a fire; do not try to fight 

the fire. Once out of the house, stay out; do not attempt 

to enter a burning home to gather possessions left 

behind. Immediately dial 9-1-1 or your local emergency 

number for help, preferably from a neighbor’s phone.

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Reasons behind the

Fire Safety Checklist

for Older Adults

Older adults (age 65 and older) are 

twice as likely to die in fires as any 

other age group. The death rate for 

those 85 and over is four times the 

national average. Older people are also 

at higher risk of injury from fires. The 

following tips can help protect you and 

those you care about from fires and 

burns.

Install and Maintain Smoke Alarms.

Install working smoke alarms on every level of your home, especially near 

sleeping areas. Test and dust each alarm monthly, and change the batteries at 

least once a year.

Smoke alarms have significantly 

reduced the risk of death or 

injury from fire. Smoke alarms 

give people an early warning that 

allows for early escape. If possible, 

install smoke alarms away from 

kitchens and bathrooms to reduce nuisance alarms. To 

control nuisance alarms, install alarms with a temporary 

silencing feature. If you are hearing-impaired, install an 

alarm that alerts using a visual signal. If necessary, get 

someone (a relative, neighbor, or fire department official) 

to help you test and clean each alarm monthly and change 

the batteries at least once a year.

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Use Smoking Materials Safely.

Never smoke in bed, while drowsy, or while under the influence of medication 

or alcohol. Use large, deep ashtrays for smoking debris, and let the contents 

cool before you dispose of them. Douse ashes with water and place ashtrays in 

the sink.

Careless smoking accounts for nearly one-third of 

the fire deaths in adults over age 70. It is 

also a leading cause of fire injuries 

among older people. If you smoke, 

never smoke in bed, while drowsy, or 

while under the influence of medication or 

alcohol. Use large, deep ashtrays so smoking 

materials don’t fall out. Warm ashes dumped 

in wastebaskets can smolder for hours, then 

ignite surrounding trash. At the end of the day, put the 

ashtray in the sink, fill it with water, and let it sit overnight 

before you dispose of the contents. Or, dispose of cigarettes 

and matches in a metal container, such as a coffee can 

with a lid, and let it cool overnight. Check furniture for 

smoldering cigarette butts and ashes before going to bed. 

Pay Attention to Your Cooking.

Keep pot handles turned inward, and keep cooking surfaces and surrounding 

areas free from clutter and grease build-up. Use pot holders and oven mitts. 

Never lean over a hot burner and avoid wearing loose clothing with flowing 

sleeves while cooking. Take a reminder with you (or set a timer) if you must 

leave the kitchen with food cooking on the range top.

Cooking fires are a leading cause of burn 

injuries among older people. Prevent fires 

and burns by being watchful and alert 

when you cook, keeping pot handles turned 

inward, not overheating food (especially 

fats and oils) and keeping cooking surfaces 

clean. Always use pot holders and oven 

mitts when opening the oven and handling 

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hot pots and pans to prevent burns. While cooking, never 

lean over a lit burner and avoid wearing loose clothing with 

flowing sleeves, such as nightgowns or bathrobes. These can 

catch on fire from a burner. If you must leave the kitchen 

when you are cooking, set a timer and take a pot holder 

or wooden spoon with you to remind you that food is 

cooking.

Heat Your Home Safely. 

Have a professional service all heating equipment annually. Keep combustibles 

and anything that can burn or melt away from all heaters, furnaces, fireplaces, 

and water heaters. Never use a range or oven to heat your home.

Hundreds of fires start each year when things that burn, 

such as curtains, clothing, bedding, gasoline, or paint 

solvents, are placed too close to heaters, 

furnaces, wood stoves, fireplaces, or 

water heaters. Store flammable liquids 

like cleaning solvents and gasoline 

outside of your home. Have at least three 

feet of clearance in all directions around 

portable/space heaters. Use the proper 

fuel for all heating equipment. Change 

filters in furnaces monthly. Keep chimneys clean. To prevent 

scalds, set the temperature of your water heater no higher 

than 120°F. All heating devices should be checked and 

serviced every year by a professional. Use your range or 

oven for cooking only–never to heat your home.

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Practice Electrical Safety. 

Have a professional electrician inspect your home’s electrical wiring system 

at least every 10 years, and make recommended repairs. Never overload 

the electrical system. Plug each appliance directly into its own outlet, and 

avoid using extension cords. Have an electrician install ground fault circuit 

interrupters (GFCIs) in rooms where water may be present. Install and 

maintain electrical appliances according to the manufacturers’ instructions.
Homes more than 40 years old are three times more likely 

to catch on fire from electrical causes than homes 11 to 

20 years old. That’s because older wiring may not have the 

capacity to safely handle newer appliances and equipment 

and may not incorporate updated safety 

features. Ground fault circuit interrupters 

(GFCIs) are important electrical safety 

devices that offer superior protection against 

dangerous electric shock and also may prevent 

some electrical fires. Have GFCIs installed in 

bathroom and kitchen circuits, and in other 

locations where water and dampness may be 

present. Call a professional electrician to make sure you 

have the proper fuses, find reasons for blown fuses and 

tripped circuit breakers, replace old or damaged outlets and 

install more outlets if needed. You are less likely to overload 

electrical outlets if you use no more than one high-wattage 

appliance on a circuit at a time. Extension cords are meant 

for temporary use only, and should be unplugged when not 

in use. If you see frayed cords on older appliances, have the 

cord repaired; better yet, replace the appliance altogether.

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Keep Matches and Lighters Away from Children.

Store matches and lighters in a locked drawer or a high cabinet away from 

the reach of grandchildren or other youngsters. Make sure lighters are childresistant.

Young children are often attracted to products 

that can produce flames. Be sure to lock away 

any matches and lighters when you have young 

visi-tors in your home. Using lighters that are 

child-resistant can prevent deaths and injuries. 

If you light candles in your home, keep them 

out of the reach of children. Make sure candles are 

placed on a wide flat base where they could be hard to tip.
Know What to Do in Case of Fire. 

Practice two ways out of every room in your home. Get out as soon as you 

discover a fire; do not try to fight the fire or gather possessions. Once out of the 

house, stay out; do not attempt to enter a burning home to gather possessions 

left behind. Immediately dial 9-1-1 or your local emergency number for help, 

preferably from a neighbor’s phone.

Planning what to do in case of fire 

can make the difference between 

life and death. You should practice 

two ways out of every room in your 

home. If you use a wheelchair or 

walker, or otherwise might have 

a problem escaping from a fire, 

discuss your escape plans ahead of 

time with your fire department, 

your family, the building manager, 

and neighbors. Let them know 

about your special circumstances and 

ask them to help plan the best escape 

routes for you. 

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9

The most important thing when a 

fire occurs is to get out of the house 

immediately and stay out, then call the 

fire department. If you are behind a closed 

door, feel it with your hand before opening 

it. If the door is hot, look for another 

possible exit out of the room. Make sure 

windows can be unlocked and opened, 

and security bars released. If you are 

passing through a smoky area, stoop low 

so that your head is beneath the smoke. 

If your clothes catch on fire, 

stop, gently drop to the 

ground, cover your face 

and roll to smother 

the flames. Do not try 

to fight the fire; that 

will only delay your 

escape. Leave your 

 possessions behind, 

and never go back into 

a burning building for 

any reason.
For more information about seniors and fire safety, visit 

these web sites:

United States Fire Administration, DHS

Prevent Fire. Save Lives. Campaign

www.usfa.fema.gov

National Fire Protection Association

www.nfpa.org

National Association of State Fire Marshals

www.firemarshals.org

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

www.cpsc.gov

For more information or copies of this publication, please contact:

Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Fire Administration

16825 South Seton Avenue

Emmitsburg, Maryland 21727

800-561-3356

www.usfa.fema.gov

FA-221/August 2002