LAKE COUNTY – With the switch to daylight savings time this Sunday, March 14, Cal Fire and the Office of the State Fire Marshal are reminding all California residents to change their smoke alarm batteries when setting their clocks ahead one hour.

Daylight Saving Time begins each year at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March. This year, Daylight Saving Time begins on March 14 and ends on Nov. 7, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Move clocks ahead one hour at the start of Daylight Saving Time.

For fire officials, it's a good time to remind people about the importance of fire prevention and the importance of keeping smoke alarms in working order.

Every year, lives are lost due to inoperative smoke alarms. More than 66 percent of home fire deaths that occurred between 2003 and 2006 were in homes without a working smoke alarm, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

The changing of the clocks provides an ideal reminder to change your smoke alarm batteries at least twice a year, according to fire officials.

“With proper maintenance and regular testing, smoke alarms play a pivotal role in the early notification of a fire emergency,” said Chief Tonya Hoover, acting state fire marshal. “By taking just a few seconds each year to replace the battery, you can truly make a difference in protecting your family and your home.”

Cal Fire has the following tips on smoke alarms:

• Test smoke alarms once a month.

• Replace batteries in all smoke alarms twice a year.

• Don’t “borrow” or remove batteries from smoke alarms even temporarily.

• Regularly vacuum or dust smoke alarms to keep them working properly.

• Replace smoke alarms every 10 years.

• Don’t paint over smoke alarms.

• Practice family fire drills so everyone knows what to do if the smoke alarm goes off.

To find more information visit the Cal Fire Web site at www.fire.ca.gov .

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