Carlos Velazquez-Sanchez, the fire education specialist for the Milwaukee Fire Department, recommends that every household has an escape route. (File photo by Ana Martinez-Ortiz) At least once a year, Carlos Velazquez-Sanchez simulates a pretend fire at his house. At the sound of the alarm, his children practice rolling out of bed and crawling to their bedroom door to test if it is hot or not. They then follow their planned escape route. The simulation ends when everyone has successfully made it to the neighbor’s house – the Velazquez-Sanchez family’s meeting point. Velazquez-Sanchez is the fire education specialist for the Milwaukee Fire Department. He leads education programs at schools and organizations to spread the word on fire safety. Below are some tips and advice from Velazquez-Sanchez on how to avoid a fire and other emergencies this winter season. Do you have feedback on Milwaukee NNS's reporting? Take our survey to let us know how we're doing! Avoid overloading outlets “In Wisconsin, specifically Milwaukee, our houses are old,” Velazquez-Sanchez said. “Back then, when they built the houses, they didn’t have the need for 30 outlets in every room. There was one outlet if you were lucky, but these days we all need outlets.” A lot of people use a multiplug, Velazquez-Sanchez said, and then they add extensions to the multiplug, which they often cover with a rug because it looks ugly. The house wires are often old, he said, so when people overload the outlet, it can cause electrical fires. If there is discoloration above or below the electric outlet, that is an indication that a fire is happening, Velazquez-Sanchez said. The Fire Department recommends that people touch the mark with the back of their hand and, if it’s warm, call 911, because it is actively burning. If the mark feels cool to the touch still call 911, Velazquez-Sanchez said, because maybe the fire went out on its own but fire travels fast and it could be active in another part of the house. “We really recommend that people don’t overload their outlets, and to use one appliance at a time,” Velazquez-Sanchez said. “If they need more outlets, call an electrician.” When it comes to using multiplugs, choose one with a thicker gauge, Velazquez-Sanchez said, and unplug appliances when done. Be smart with portable heaters Portable heaters are great, Velazquez-Sanchez said. They are an efficient way to heat parts of the house and can help keep furnace and gas costs down, he said. “The problem is, people want to plug them into extension cords,” Velazquez-Sanchez said. “You do not want to plug a portable heater into an extension cord, it draws too much electricity.” The Fire Department recommends plugging the heater directly into the wall and leaving 1 meter or 3 feet of space of clearance around the heater. Make sure nothing is near or touching the heater, including bed sheets, curtains, clothing, towels or anything that could catch fire, Velazquez-Sanchez said. “When you leave the room, you want to turn them off,” he said. “There’s no sense to have anything running when you’re not there. A lot of fires that happen with portable heaters happen because people left the room.” The same rule applies to electric blankets. Turn them off when leaving the room or when falling asleep, he said. “With our eyes closed, we’re not able to see fire,” he said. “Fire doesn’t make a noise. What’s burning is what makes a noise and the smoke from a fire will put you in a deeper sleep.” Every household should have a carbon monoxide detector (left) and a fire alarm. (File photo by Ana Martinez-Ortiz) Be careful with fall foliage Velazquez-Sanchez advised car owners to be careful where they park their cars. Avoid parking over piles of leaves, he said. “The catalytic converter is extremely hot,” he said, “It lights up the leaves and there goes your car – it’s on fire.” Thanksgiving and Christmas safety A lot of people want to deep fry their turkey for Thanksgiving, Velazquez-Sanchez said. If the turkey has any bit of water or ice on it, it will explode as soon as it hits the oil, he said. If individuals still want to deep fry a turkey, make sure it is completely dry, Velazquez-Sanchez said, and set up the fryer away from the house. He also recommends staying by the kitchen when preparing the rest of the meal. The No. 1 cause of fires in the United States is kitchen fires, he said. “It baffles me because it should be the least cause of fires,” he said. “The problem is we are so complacent, and we are so careless.” People get distracted by their phones or TVs or they leave the house, he said. Velazquez-Sanchez said there is no reason to leave the kitchen.