How To Keep Your Pet Safe During a Fire

We don’t want our pets to be in danger when they are around flames and smoke. What should you do if your alarms go off, and your furry or fin-bearing friends are also in danger?

Make a plan in place

Incorporating pets in your family plan is the best way to ensure your pet’s safety in case your home is set on fire. Sarah Wooten DVM, the Pumpkin Insurance veterinarian expert, believes that while it is important to leave matters to firefighters, making sure your pet’s documentation ensures they will be given priority and taken to safety.

Maja Drozd, a Denver veterinarian, said that a Desert Birds or sign placed on a door or window can be used to let first responders know how many pets or humans are present. Are you lacking a family plan to deal with fires? Ready.gov offers a great template.

Microchip Cats and Dogs

Wooten suggests that you keep your identification tags and microchips up-to-date in case your cat or dog is lost or becomes ill during a fire. This will greatly increase the chances of them being found and returned to the owner. These backup plans are best for separation. However, there are ways to safely transport your pets when you need to evacuate your home.

Make sure you have the right travel preparations in place

Wooten suggests keeping multiple leashes for your cat and dog in case of an emergency.Drozd says, “Carry your cat/dog with a towel so they don’t inhale excessive smoke.”

Pet owners should also make an emergency kit with extra leashes and first aid kits for their pets. This includes food, water, litter, disposable trays and copies of medical records as well as toys.

Drodz also states that carriers can be used for smaller animals as well, since carrying rodents and lizards in small transport kennels should be included in an evacuation kit.You should include food, water, a bowl, baby wiping, paper towels, heat lamps, spray bottles, and blankets to help with stress and cold.

Make Firefighters’ Jobs Easier

Wooten warns against entering a burned home again if your pet wasn’t there with you. She advises that firefighters should handle this.

She says, “If your pet doesn’t make it out to you, no matter how tempting you might be, you will endanger yourself [if you reenter]”.

She suggests that you create an exit point by keeping doors and windows unlocked. You can also call your pet’s name frequently to help them find their way out.

How to Prioritize Safety of Fish

Wooten recommends keeping two nets close to your fish tank, and several bags that are the right size for your fish.She says, “This way, in the event of a fire you can quickly scoop up the fish and into the bags.” 

“It helps confuse fish and makes it easier to catch them,” she says.Drodz also agrees, and suggests that fish-safe plastic bags be prepared filled with one third water.She suggests that a 5-gallon bucket with lid and hole for an air pump that can plug into a car power adapter, is a good option if you have more time.

Reptiles also need rescuing

Wooten suggests that you keep a small container of plastic transportation near your reptile pets to make it easy in the event of an emergency. can cats eat mango can cats eat bananascan also keep food, medicine, or other supplies in the container.

She says, “If you are leaving a home with small pets,… place them in a large pillowcase or cardboard box and then transport them in a box or pillow case.” If you tie a knot at one end of a pillow case, it can be used to transport animals from high places.

Prevent Fires from the Start

Wooten recommends fireproofing your home in order to prevent curious or active pets from destroying it.She warns against open flames. If open flames are present, make sure they are not accessed and kept out of reach.

Stoves that are accidentally turned on when a pet bumps into a knob can also be a common way for pets to accidentally light their own fires. She suggests covering knobs or removing them.Wooten states that this is the best way for your pet to be protected from fires.