The city of West Hollywood is reminding the community to stay safe during the new year and follow winter holiday fire and personal safety tips from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Fire Protection Association and the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The city of West Hollywood’s Fire Safety Brochure offers the following tips to make homes fire-safe in the new year: install smoke alarms and test smoke alarms regularly; place one or more ABC rated fire extinguishers in your home; consider installing automatic fire sprinklers when possible; be extremely cautious using portable heaters and follow all instructions carefully; never smoke in bed; never leave candles burning unattended; and do not overload electrical outlets or power strips.

FEMA provides fire safety tips and outreach materials on its website, fema.gov, including general tips, information on electric vehicle charging and safety when using space heaters. Keep anything that can burn, such as bedding, clothing and curtains, at least three feet away from heaters; make sure the heater has an automatic shut-off so if it tips over, it turns off; turn heaters off when going to bed or leaving a room; plug portable heaters directly into outlets and never into an extension cord or power strip; have a qualified electrician install a new, dedicated circuit for EV charging devices. Older home wiring may not be suitable for use with EV supply equipment. Cover the EV charging station outlet to stop water from entering. Check the manufacturer’s guidelines to make sure it is safe to charge an EV in wet conditions. Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that burns.

The city of West Hollywood features tips for making your home fire-safe on the city’s website, weho.org, with detailed information about safety considerations and reminders to install smoke alarms and test them regularly. Residents are also reminded to ensure there is a working carbon monoxide detector in the home.

Stay up to date with information at fire.lacounty.gov and follow updates at twitter.com/lacofd.

Los Angeles County has implemented a free mass notification called Alert LA County, which is used to contact residents and businesses via recorded phone messages, text messages or e-mail messages in case of emergency. West Hollywood residents are encouraged to sign up at ready.lacounty.gov/alerts.

For information about community safety in West Hollywood, call (323)848-6414, or visit weho.org/publicsafety.