Winter Fire Safety
Each year, fire claims the lives of 3,500 Americans, injures 20,000, and causes billions of dollars worth of damage. The misuse of heating devices-wood stoves, portable space heaters and kerosene heaters are especially common risks in areas that experience cold weather.
Below are simple steps to keep you and your family safe during the winter months. Please contact us if you have any questions or need more information.
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet (3’) away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heater.
- Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
- Never use your oven to heat your home.
- Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
- Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
- Make sure heating equipment and chimneys are cleaned and inspected annually by a qualified professional.
- Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
- Make sure your fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
- Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home.
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