Create an effective fire safety plan

SAN DIEGO – While fire can provide warmth and safety, it also can cause immediate and significant damage that can uproot lives and devastate homes. Because fire is such a formidable foe, it's imperative that people from all walks of life have a fire safety plan.

The National Fire Protection Association said U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 358,500 home structure fires per year between 2011 and 2015. On average, seven people die in U.S. home fires per day. The Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services said 48 percent of fires that cause severe losses occur i...