ST. CLOUD -- Fires can happen anywhere and you don't want to be caught off guard when it does.

This is Fire Prevention Week and local fire departments are making sure you brush up on your fire safety.

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Greg Adamietz is the St. Cloud Assistant Fire Marshall. He says kitchen fires are the most common causes of all house fires.

When cooking food, things happen to be left on the stove and the burner gets accidentally turned on or left on. Those hot plates will then heat up what's on the stove to the point of ignition.

Adamietz says luckily when that happens it's typically just smoke damage that occurs as the homeowner is able to extinguish the fire before fire crews arrive.

This year's theme is Know the sounds of fire safety. Adamietz says knowing what to do when a fire alarm sounds will keep you and your family safe.

Smoke detectors are the primary first course of action for anyone when it comes to a fire. If they are going off and you don't know what's going on, get out of the building and call the fire department.

He says this week is also a good time to check the batteries in your smoke detector and review your safe exit plan with your family.

St. Cloud is the only non-volunteer fire department in the area, with staff stationed at four geographical locations on a 24 hour basis.

 

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