FIRE SAFETY
SMOKE ALARM SAFETY
The best way to protect your home and family is to install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Test them once a month and replace batteries once a year, or when the alarm alerts you that the battery is low. Replace smoke alarms after 10 years, if not before.
SERVICE APPLIANCES
Keep appliances clean and in good working order to prevent them triggering a fire. Replace electrical cords which are damaged, whether it is the cord or the plug.
COOKING
Do not leave the kitchen if you are frying or broiling/grilling food. If you have to leave, then turn off the stove. Ensure saucepan handles are facing inwards, so they don’t get knocked off the stove. Watch out for loose clothing, which can easily catch fire next to a heat source.
SMOKING
Lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes can easily fall over and start a fire, so don’t leave them lying around. Stub them out and dispose of them carefully. Consider asking smokers to go outside, and provide sturdy deep ashtrays for cigarette disposal.
CANDLES
Secure candles in a proper holder and away from materials, such as curtains, that may catch fire. Make sure you extinguish candles when you leave the room or before going to sleep.
MATCHES AND LIGHTERS
Buy child-resistant lighters and matchboxes. Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children.
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
Portable fire extinguishers can be used to put out small fires, or contain them until the fire department arrives. They do have their limits though, so the top priority for residents is to get out safely as fire grows and spreads so rapidly.
GET OUT, STAY OUT, CALL FOR HELP
If a fire occurs in your home, follow Cayman Islands Fire Service instructions to get out, stay out, and call 911.
FIREWORKS
• Never return to a lit firework.
• Never throw fireworks or put them in your pocket.
• Don’t drink alcohol if you’re setting off fireworks.
• Store fireworks in a closed box and take them out one at a time.
• Keep a bucket of water nearby.
• Follow instructions on each firework. Use a torch to read them, never a naked flame.
• Light fireworks at arm’s length, using the taper provided.
• Make sure everyone stands well back.
• Always supervise children around fireworks and never give sparklers to a child younger than 5.
• Light sparklers one at a time and wear gloves.
• Keep pets indoors.
• Take care around open flames such as bonfires and barbecues as clothes, even those labelled low flammability, may catch alight.
BONFIRES
• Apply for permission from the Public Lands Commission for bonfires on public land.
• Only burn dry material. Damp material causes more smoke.
• Build the bonfire away from sheds, fences and trees.
• Check there are no cables such as telephone wires above the bonfire.
• Don’t use gas to start the fire as it may get out of control.
• Keep a bucket of water or hose nearby in case of emergency.
• Do not leave the bonfire unattended.
• Keep children and pets away from the bonfire.
• Do not throw fireworks into a bonfire.
• Don’t burn aerosols, tyres, canisters or anything containing foam or paint as many produce toxic fumes or may explode.
• Spray embers with water once the fire has died down to stop re-ignition.
This article originally appeared in Compass Media’s 2025 Emergency Guide.
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