Editorial: Turn your clocks back; check smoke detectors

Published 8:16 pm Friday, October 30, 2020

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Daylight saving time ends this weekend, so don’t forget to turn back your clocks an hour Saturday night before you go to bed.

While you’re going around your house updating your clocks, we also encourage you to test your smoke alarms and make sure they are all in good working condition.

According to the Minnesota Safety Council, more than half of all fatal fires in the home occur at night while people are sleeping. Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire almost in half.

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It would be wise not only to test the smoke alarms but to replace the batteries at this time, too, to make sure the alarms are functioning well.

The council estimates that half of all smoke alarms are not working as they should be because batteries are worn out or have been removed.

It advises smoke alarms to be replaced every 10 years.

Alarms should be installed on every level of the home, including the basement, and should be placed inside every bedroom and outside each sleeping area in the home.

Give yourself the reassurance of the extra protection smoke alarms can give as we head into the winter months, when there are often more house fires.

Be prepared.