When you think of fire safety in the home, you’re likely thinking about smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and your family’s evacuation plan. But was your garage on that list? Probably not. It should be, though – each year, there are over 6500 house fires that start in the garage, causing an average of over $450 million in property damage. Nearly all of these garage fires are in single-family-homes and duplexes. So, what are the hazards you should look for in your garage? And what can you do to make your garage fire-resistant? FEMA’s got a few suggestions:

1. Get flammable materials like gasoline and oil away from the garage in a shed out back.

2. Be mindful of how you use the garage’s electrical system. Don’t try to charge more than one appliance in an outlet, and don’t use extension cords to charge appliances.

3. Keep burnable items off the floor, on shelves, and away from appliances.

4. Install a heat alarm in the garage.

5. Make sure the door that leads into the house is fire-rated for a minimum of 20 minutes.

Take a few of these tips to heart and read up a bit on FEMA’s outreach materials and you can ensure that, should an accident happen, the damage to your property is minimized and your family has time to safely exit the home.