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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - California residents will have to remember to turn their clocks ahead by an hour before going to bed Saturday evening, with daylight saving time beginning at 2 a.m. Sunday.
The annual "spring forward" exercise means the weekend will be an hour shorter than usual.
As always, fire officials and other health agencies urged people to use the time change as a reminder to check smoke alarms and replace the batteries if necessary. It is also a good time to reset timers on outdoor lights and lawn sprinkler systems.
"Home fires claim more lives in a typical year than all natural disasters combined," according to the American Red Cross. "But working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half."
Some standard rules from fire departments and other officials governing smoke detectors include:
-- Install smoke detectors on all floors of your home or apartment.
-- If the devices are hardwired into your electrical system, be sure to have a backup battery-operated smoke detector in case of a power outage.
-- Mount alarms high on walls, at least four to 12 inches from the ceiling.
-- Never paint over a smoke detector.
-- Use a vacuum cleaner to remove lint or dust.
-- Test the smoke detectors regularly. If the smoke detector "chirps" it is an indication of a low battery, which should be changed.
The Automobile Club of Southern California also traditionally warns morning drivers to be on the lookout for pedestrians, since it will be dark for an hour longer in the mornings.
The time change means California will shift into the same hour as most of Arizona, which does not switch to daylight saving time. Hawaii also stays on its standard time, meaning the islands will be three hours earlier than Los Angeles for the next half year, instead of two hours.