October 2026

HOME — INTERIOR

Test before the cold morning

• Test smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms and replace batteries or units according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Place flashlights where the family can find them, check needed medicines and emergency contacts, and review where everyone should meet if the house must be left.
• If a furnace, fireplace, chimney, flue, or wood stove is due for service—or you are unsure of its condition—use a qualified professional before regular use.

Never use an oven to heat the house. Never run a generator in a home or garage. Follow current CDC and manufacturer placement instructions outdoors, away from openings. For an alarm, suspected gas or carbon monoxide, or immediate fire danger, leave the area and call emergency services or the fire department.

HOME — EXTERIOR

Give water a clear path

• Walk the property after leaves begin to fall and note where water, leaves, or soil collect around foundations, steps, driveways, and culverts.
• From the ground, look for loose exterior material, open gaps, damaged screens, or signs of roof and gutter trouble; use a qualified person for heights, electrical hazards, or structural concerns.
• Before digging for a post, tree, drain, or repair, contact Georgia 811 and follow the ticket instructions before work begins.

Stay out of trenches. Do not climb a wet roof or work near damaged electrical service. Stop and bring in the appropriate professional when the hazard is beyond ordinary homeowner work.

LAWN & LIVING THINGS

Name the grass before treating it

• Learn whether the lawn is tall fescue or a warm-season grass before seeding, feeding, or applying weed control; their growth patterns and maintenance timing differ.
• Use a representative soil test before applying lime or making broad fertilizer changes. Treat different plant and drainage areas as separate sampling zones.
• Choose fall vegetables, trees, or shrubs by the UGA planting guidance, the species, the site, and present soil moisture—not merely by the month on the calendar.

Read every pesticide, fertilizer, and seed label. Keep children and pets away as directed. Contact UGA Extension for identification or site-specific questions.

ENGINES & TOOLS

Store equipment ready, not merely hidden

• Use the owner's manual for fuel, oil, battery, and seasonal-storage steps; the right procedure varies by engine and tool.
• Let equipment cool and disable it before clearing packed grass or leaves. Inspect guards, cords, tires, blades, and loose fasteners before the next use.
• Label fuel containers, close them correctly, and store fuel and oily materials in an approved location away from ignition sources and children.

Do not bypass a guard or safety switch. Use a qualified mechanic for fuel leaks, damaged wiring, uncertain repairs, or equipment that cannot be made safe by the manual's normal maintenance steps.

FIREWOOD & HEARTH

Prepare the burn before lighting it

• Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected by a professional on the service interval recommended for the system.
• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet from fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators, space heaters, and other heat sources.
• Stack firewood off the soil with the top protected and the sides open to air; keep the working supply far enough from the house and heat source to avoid creating a fire or pest problem.

Burn only fuel approved for the appliance and follow the appliance instructions. Ashes and embers can stay hot; use the manufacturer's and fire department's safe-disposal guidance.

ROADS, WEATHER & WILDLIFE

Slow down before you see the reason

• Check the National Weather Service Peachtree City page for current alerts before travel, outdoor work, burning, or river plans.
• Leaves, low light, wet pavement, and hidden road edges change stopping distance. Leave room and never drive through a flooded roadway.
• At dawn, dusk, and wooded road edges, watch for deer. If one appears, reduce speed, stay in your lane when possible, and expect more than one.

Wildlife movement and storms are not controlled by a calendar. Use the current road, alert, and local-authority information rather than this page for immediate decisions.

HEALTH & LIMITS

Use the cooler day without spending tomorrow's strength

• Start outdoor work early enough to finish before low light makes the task harder to see.
• Even in fall, set water, rest, and shade by the actual heat and workload; do not use the season name as proof that heat risk is gone.
• Use a cart, mechanical aid, or another person for awkward loads. Stop for dizziness, confusion, chest pain, fainting, or severe trouble breathing and seek urgent help.

This is general safety guidance, not medical advice. For symptoms or health limits, follow a clinician's instructions; call 911 for an emergency.