Setting your home up for success: Small animal owner fire awareness

Half a million pets are affected by home fires each year, with more than 40,000 of those animals losing their lives, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. Kyle Johnson, a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, provides insight into how owners can protect their homes — and their pets — from fires and the procedures to enact in the event of a fire emergency.

Accidental sparks

With a harmless swat of the paw, flick of the tail, or mix-up of a chew toy, your pets have the ability to mistakenly start a fire in your home. Approximately 750 home fires that occur annually are caused by pets or wildlife, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

In addition to having properly installed smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, one of the best ways to prevent fires is by staying aware of potential fire hazards:
 
Lit candles should never be left unattended and should be extinguished before leaving home. 

• Christmas lights and electrical cords can be both a fire hazard and a danger to pets’ health, so it’s best to unplug lights and cords when you leave the house and go to bed.
• Use an approved protective barrier, screen, or fence to prevent your pet from getting too close to the fireplace.
• If possible, remove or cover the knobs on your stove when not in use.

“When pets are unattended, they are more at risk,” Johnson said. “If your pet has been known to chew on things, consider keeping them in a crate or another room when you’re away to reduce the risk of them starting a fire or being injured from chewing on something they shouldn’t.”

While stovetops are the top source of home fires caused by pets, heating equipment — particularly space heaters, fireplaces, and wood-burning stoves — are the most common causes of home fires in the U.S., especially in winter months

These items should never be left unattended while in use because an excited pet or wagging tail could accidentally knock them over onto something flammable.

“It is also important to avoid using electric blankets with your pets,” Johnson said. “Not only could they be a fire source if a pet were to chew on them, but they can also lead to severe burns — especially with senior pets or pets with limited mobility.”

In case of emergency

Despite our best efforts to prevent fires, accidents still happen. If there’s a fire in your home and you’re unable to extinguish it yourself, you should evacuate all family members, including pets, immediately.  “There’s likely little time to grab an emergency kit in this situation,” Johnson said. “Instead, keep leashes and carriers near the door so they’re close at hand should you need to evacuate quickly.”

Making sure your pet has proper identification, including a microchip and collar with tags, can help you be reunited if you lose control of your pet during evacuation or if they escape on their own. Ensuring your pet’s microchip is both properly registered and up-to-date is essential to helping you be reunited with your pet following a disaster.

“In the event of a house fire, it’s important that pet owners do not attempt to go back inside their homes to rescue a pet,” Johnson said. “Instead, they should tell the firefighters or first responders on scene. There are many documented cases of pet owners not surviving after reentering a burning home to retrieve their pet. This may also put first responders in additional danger if they now need to rescue a person in addition to animals.”

Keeping pets in rooms or kennels near the home’s entrance can help firefighters locate the animal if the owner were to be away during a fire emergency.

“There are a variety of signs and placards that notify firefighters that there are pets in your home,” Johnson said. “Consider mounting one by the entrance or on windows that are easily seen by first responders.”

Post-fire pet safety

Even after a pet has escaped or been evacuated from a fire, the danger is not yet out of sight — or rather, out of their system. 

“If your pet was involved in a house fire, they should be evaluated by a veterinarian right away,” Johnson said. “Although your pet may be free from burns, they could have inhaled smoke, which can be deadly. In fact, like people, smoke inhalation is the main cause of death for animals in house fires.”

Signs of damage to the respiratory system from smoke can include:

• Labored breathing
• Increased breathing rate
• Coughing
• Different-sounding barks or meows
• Hoarseness
• An altered mental state

The effects of smoke inhalation may not be evident right away and may take 12-24 hours for signs to appear. A veterinarian can help monitor pets for these signs and provide prompt treatment if necessary.

The loss of a pet or house to fire is a tragedy that many face, but with proper preparation, awareness, and quick action, pet owners can help protect their home and furry friends from this simmering threat.

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.

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