Press Release
Tips on Cold Weather and Home Heating Safety Fire Districts Offer Tips on Cold Weather and Home Heating Safety as Snow Returns to Summit County
Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - Summit County, CO
It is that time of year again in Summit County when the snow returns and temperatures drop. "This is always a busy time for local fire districts, as residents turn on their heating systems and inadvertently start fires," notes Brandon Williams, public information officer with Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue. Such home heating fires are easily preventable, authorities note, and the risk can be reduces greatly by following a few simple steps:
?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨¬¢????´???‚Äö?Ñ????ë?????´?????¬¥?¬¨¬®‚Äö?Ѭ¢ Ensure thermostats are set properly to prevent freeze-ups of fire sprinkler systems or domestic water, especially in those occupancies that are second homes, seasonally occupied or vacant. Recommended temp? 60 degrees.
?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨¬¢????´???‚Äö?Ñ????ë?????´?????¬¥?¬¨¬®‚Äö?Ѭ¢ Ensure your fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from flying into the room and always allow ashes to cool before disposing in a metal container.
?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨¬¢????´???‚Äö?Ñ????ë?????´?????¬¥?¬¨¬®‚Äö?Ѭ¢ Have your chimney cleaned annually to prevent soot and creosote build-up.
?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨¬¢????´???‚Äö?Ñ????ë?????´?????¬¥?¬¨¬®‚Äö?Ѭ¢ Learn how to shut off your water valves?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨¬¢‚Äö?Ñ????ë?????´????¬¨?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®??ú¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨?ܬ¨¬®¬¨¬Æ? just in case.
?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨¬¢????´???‚Äö?Ñ????ë?????´?????¬¥?¬¨¬®‚Äö?Ѭ¢ Service water heaters, fireplaces and furnaces in advance of the severe cold (e.g., NOW) to ensure adequate heat provision and to ensure safe operation.
?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨¬¢????´???‚Äö?Ñ????ë?????´?????¬¥?¬¨¬®‚Äö?Ѭ¢ Keep or maintain a 36-inch (1 meter) clearance between space heaters and electric baseboard heaters and anything that can burn such as furniture, drapes, etc.
?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨¬¢????´???‚Äö?Ñ????ë?????´?????¬¥?¬¨¬®‚Äö?Ѭ¢ Turn off portable space heaters when you leave the room or go to bed.
?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨¬¢????´???‚Äö?Ñ????ë?????´?????¬¥?¬¨¬®‚Äö?Ѭ¢ Check heating units and appliances in mechanical closets, sprinkler control valve rooms and crawl spaces to make sure these heaters are both "on" and working correctly.
?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨¬¢????´???‚Äö?Ñ????ë?????´?????¬¥?¬¨¬®‚Äö?Ѭ¢ Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors monthly and replace the batteries, as necessary, to ensure proper working order.
?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨¬¢????´???‚Äö?Ñ????ë?????´?????¬¥?¬¨¬®‚Äö?Ѭ¢ As we move further into the snow season, keep an eye on roof ice dam and snow buildup. Falling ice dams and snow are a significant source of injuries and pose a great risk to gas and electric lines. Have a contractor remove ice and snow and storms pass, if necessary.
?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨¬¢????´???‚Äö?Ñ????ë?????´?????¬¥?¬¨¬®‚Äö?Ѭ¢ Check any fire sprinkler systems containing antifreeze to make certain the mixture of antifreeze to water is correct.
?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨¬¢????´???‚Äö?Ñ????ë?????´?????¬¥?¬¨¬®‚Äö?Ѭ¢ Keep hydrants clear of snow and accessible in case of an emergency.
?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨¬¢????´???‚Äö?Ñ????ë?????´?????¬¥?¬¨¬®‚Äö?Ѭ¢ Keep the garage door shut to prevent against unnecessary heat loss.
?¬¨¬®¬¨¬Æ¬¨¬®¬¨¬¢????´???‚Äö?Ñ????ë?????´?????¬¥?¬¨¬®‚Äö?Ѭ¢ Ensure your home’s address is visible from the road by re-painting with contrasting or reflective paint and clear away branches and/or snow blocking visibility.
"As always, please feel free to contact your local fire department with any questions or if you would like us to conduct a free home safety check," adds Capt. Kim Scott, Red, White and Blue Fire Protection District.
Press Contact:
Brandon Williams
Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue
(970) 513-4245
or
Capt. Kim Scott, PIO
cell: 970.485.4374
email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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