Take Steps to Reduce Fire Danger

In the wake of two fires in three days in the same neighborhood, is urging residents to remember the basics of fire safety.

A . The sole resident of the home, Allison Wilson, was awakened by smoke in the house and escaped without injury.

On Monday, Police Officer Mark Benoit , which is a few houses away from the Hingham Road blaze.

Preliminary examination indicates that the fire started in the basement, the chief said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by Grafton Police Detective William Kuck, members of the state fire marshal's office and special agents from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF.)

To ensure everyone’s safety, the Grafton Police and would like to remind residents to follow some simple fire prevention precautions:

• Ensure that any combustible materials (such as papers, cardboard boxes, rags, clothing, gasoline and solvents) are kept away from potential heat sources such as wood stoves, fireplaces, furnaces, space heaters and electrical outlets. 
• Always use caution when using candles and keep matches and lighters secured and away from children.
• If there are smokers in the house, make sure to use large, deep ashtrays on sturdy surfaces like a table and douse cigarette and cigar butts with water before dumping them in the trash. 

Residents are also reminded to make sure that their smoke detectors are working properly. They should be tested monthly and the batteries should be changed at least once a year. 

Even if the smoke detectors are hard wired, batteries need to be changed so that the detector will function even when power goes out as is the case in many fires.