Top 5 Fire Safety Mistakes Most People Still Make In New Jersey

October 5–11 marks Fire Prevention Week, and if you think New Jersey would be ahead of the curve in fire safety, think again. According to a new Fire Safety Report Card, NJ only scored a "C" grade when residents were quizzed on their fire safety knowledge and habits.

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The report surveyed Americans on everything from fire extinguisher confidence to cooking habits, compiling state-by-state grades. The findings? Truly eye-opening. Fire prevention isn't exactly NJ's strong suit.

Basic Fire Safety: Where NJ Is Falling Short

Did you know that only 44% have a fire escape plan? Just 14% of those people have actually practiced it. Worse, 1 in 10 people have removed the batteries from their smoke alarms, and nearly half don’t even own a carbon monoxide detector.

• READ MORE: Porch Pirates Are On The Move In NJ

Confidence seems to also be lacking. 50% of people don’t even feel equipped enough to handle a grease fire, even though 63% think they could recognize one. Grease fires, by the way, are the #1 cause of accidental home fires.

5 Common Fire Safety Mistakes We Make At Home

Fire safety isn’t just about having equipment, it’s about behavior. Some of us don't realize we could be doing more to prevent a disaster. Here are the top 5 fire hazards many of us overlook:

• Sleeping with the bedroom door open (37%)
• Using too many extension cords (32%)
• Leaving the stove unattended (28%)
• Letting candles burn unsupervised (19%)
• Leaving a space heater on overnight (16%)

Whether you’re in an apartment or a house, it’s time to level up your fire safety game. This Fire Prevention Week, do more than check the box... check your habits, too.