How to avoid pet-set fires

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Unattended pets that are bored or hungry could unintentionally set a home on fire. Here are ways to pet-proof a home to make these situations less likely:

-- Keep the stove clear. Remove knobs or cover them if you leave the house.

-- Keep fire extinguishers in rooms where fires are likely to start, like kitchens and garages.

-- Place smoke detectors in every room. In kitchens, consider rate-of-rise detectors, which are triggered by rapid rises in temperature rather than smoke or steam.

-- Use flameless candles.

-- Thoroughly douse cigarettes in ashtrays and fires in fireplaces.

-- Don't use glass bowls to feed your pets on wooden surfaces. Sun can filter through glass and ignite wood.

-- Keep leashes for pets close to the door so you or firefighters can grab animals and leave quickly.

-- Keep a window cling with an updated list of the names of children and pets.