With National Arson Awareness Week being acknowledged Sunday, May 5 by way of Saturday, May 11, the Reno Fire Department is sharing ideas and reminders about hearth security.
RFD says it noticed a slight improve within the variety of fires final yr, with a complete of 260 reported in 2023.
It made 12 arson arrests, efficiently closing 30% of arson instances, which is above the nationwide common.
Reno Fire desires to remind residents that anybody can turn into a sufferer of arson however there are issues you are able to do to restrict that danger.
“Motivation for arson varies, but every arsonist seeks out opportunity,” stated John Beck, Fire Marshal for the Reno Fire Department. “The more you take the opportunity away from that arsonist, the probability of that arsonist attacking your property goes down.”
Here are a couple of ideas from the Reno Fire Department on what residents can do to guard their property from the thoughts of an arsonist:
1.Install lights protecting all sides of the home. Motion-activated lighting, which is cheap, needs to be placed close to the entrances. Interior lights on timers give the phantasm of an occupied residence.
2.Keep combustibles and flammable vegetation not less than 5 toes out of your home’s exterior partitions. Juniper brush is well-liked in northern Nevada however very flammable. It appears to be like inexperienced from the skin however hides lifeless and dry vegetation inside. Remove extra vegetation and piles of leaves. Clean round your home and storage, eradicating unused and unneeded paper, trash, cleansing provides, partial cans of paint and different supplies that would turn into kindling and gas a hearth for an arsonist.
3.Trim or take away shrubbery that blocks the view of the home from the road. During the rising season, bushes and timber might must be trimmed ceaselessly.
4.Keep doorways and home windows locked. All exterior doorways needs to be outfitted with deadbolts. A easy locked door may very well be the deterrent that saves a home from arson. The {hardware} used to lock home windows can typically be simply compelled open utilizing a bank card or different instrument. The finest sort of window {hardware} has spring-loaded bolts that insert by way of the window body into the wall body.
5. Secure deserted and vacant houses. This might embrace including extra locks or boarding up damaged home windows or different openings with plywood.
6. Remove deserted autos. Most automotive fires are began to cowl up different felony exercise or just as an act of vandalism.
7. Install burglar and hearth alarm techniques or surveillance cameras.
You can discover extra info on this on the National Fire Protection Association web site by clicking right here.