Commercial fire protection services may specifically help hotels and other non-residential buildings minimize the risk of fires, but many of the steps these fire protection companies take can also help homeowners, too.

Here are just a few fire protection tips you can use to make your home safer.

Install Fire Extinguishers in the Kitchen. – According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking related incidents cause about 40% of all house fires. In other words, odds are that a fire will start in the kitchen. If you keep a fire extinguisher there, you’ll be able to quickly put out a fire before it spreads.

Maintain and Keep an Eye on All Appliances. – In 2011, there were about 47,700 home structure fires that were caused by some sort of electrical failure or malfunction. These blazes caused 418 civilian deaths, 1,570 civilian injuries, and $1.4 billion in property damage. Take care of your appliances. If you notice the wires are fraying, or if it’s starting to malfunction, have it repaired, have the part replaced, or get a new appliance.

Change the Batteries of Your Smoke Alarms. – One of the most obvious things you can do to prevent minimize the risk of fires is to make sure your smoke alarms in proper working order. After all, you may discover the fire too late if there isn’t a working alarm. Maintaining smoke alarms means testing them regularly — about once a month — and changing the batteries at least once a year.

If you want to minimize the potential threat fires pose to your home, you’d be wise to install fire extinguishers in your kitchen, maintain all of your appliances, and ensure that your smoke alarms are in good shape.

If you have any questions about how to mitigate the threat fires pose to your home, feel free to share in the comments. Check out this website for more.