The City of West Hollywood is reminding the community to stay safe this winter holiday season and follow winter holiday fire and personal safety tips from the City, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and the LA County Fire Department.
The City of West Hollywood’s Fire Safety Brochure offers the following tips and more to make your home fire-safe:
- Install smoke alarms and test smoke alarms regularly.
- Place one or more ABC rated fire extinguishers in your home.
- Consider installing automatic fire sprinklers when possible.
- Be extremely cautious using portable heaters and follow all instructions carefully.
- Never smoke in bed.
- Never leave candles burning unattended.
- Do not overload electrical outlets or power strips.
FEMA provides a number of fire safety tips and outreach materials on its website, including general tips, info on electric vehicle charging, and for space heaters:
- Keep anything that can burn, such as bedding, clothing, and curtains, at least 3 feet away from the heater.
- Make sure the heater has an automatic shut-off, so if it tips over, it shuts off.
- Turn heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.
- Plug portable heaters directly into outlets and never into an extension cord or power strip.
- Have a qualified electrician install a new, dedicated circuit for your EV charging device. Older home wiring may not be suitable for use with EV supply equipment.
- Cover the EV charging station outlet to stop water from entering. Check the manufacturer’s guidelines to make sure it is safe to charge your EV in wet conditions.
- Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that burns.
- Make sure your tree is at least 3 feet away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, space heaters, candles, or heat vents and water your tree daily. Also, make sure your tree does not block exits.
The City of West Hollywood features tips for making your home fire-safe on the City’s website with detailed information about safety considerations and reminders to install smoke alarms and test them regularly.
The City of West Hollywood is served by the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD). As the holidays approach, LACoFD reminds community members to operate space heaters safety, to ensure there is a working carbon monoxide (CO) detector in your home, and to take precautions when using holiday decorations, lights, and candles. Stay up-to-date with information from LACoFD at https://fire.lacounty.gov and follow updates at https://twitter.com/LACOFD.
Los Angeles County has implemented a free mass notification called Alert LA County, which is used to contact residents and businesses via recorded phone messages, text messages, or e-mail messages in case of emergency. West Hollywood residents are encouraged to sign up at https://ready.lacounty.gov/alerts.
For more information about Community Safety in the City of West Hollywood, please call (323) 848-6414 or visit www.weho.org/publicsafety.
