National Pet Fire Safety Day: Here are tips on how to keep your furry friends safe

Micah Walker, The Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read
National Pet Fire Safety Day is July 15.
National Pet Fire Safety Day is July 15.

Friday marks National Pet Fire Safety Day, a time to learn how to keep your pets safe during a fire and how to prevent one from happening.

The holiday was created in 2008 by the American Kennel Club and ADT Security Services to raise awareness about house fires and to educate pet owners on how to prevent them, according to the club's pet insurance website.

Every year more than 500,000 pets are affected by house fires, with 1,000 house fires started by pets themselves, according to American Humane. 

To help keep your dogs and cats safe, here are some tips from the National Fire Protection Association to prevent a fire from happening:

  • Keep pets away from stoves and countertops.

  • Keep pets away from candles, lamps and space heaters.

  • Always use a metal or heat-tempered glass screen on a fireplace and keep it in place.

  • Keep pets away from a chimney’s outside vents. Have a “pet-free zone” of at least 3 feet away from the fireplace. Glass doors and screens can stay dangerously hot for several hours after the fire goes out.

  • Consider battery-operated, flameless candles. They can look and smell like real candles.

  • Watch pets to make sure they don’t chew through electrical cords.

In addition, here are tips from American Humane and the American Red Cross on what to do with pets during a fire:

  • Grab your pet’s leash or carrier as you escape the building. Outside your home will be chaotic and your pet may try to escape to a safer area, so it is important to keep them nearby and secure.

  • If it takes too long to locate or secure your pets, leave, open the door and call for them once you are outside and at a safe distance from the fire.

  • Get a pet alert window cling and write down the number of pets inside your house. Attach the static cling to a front window. This information saves rescuers time when locating your pets.

More: Six rescued --one in critical condition -- from apartment fire in Columbus' Hilltop

More: After recent string of deadly fires, Columbus Division of Fire offers tips on staying safe

Micah Walker is the Dispatch trending reporter. Reach her at mwalker@dispatch.com or 740-251-7199. Follow her on Twitter @micah_walker701. 

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What to know about National Pet Fire Safety Day