Keep Your Family Safe From Winter Fires
When it gets this cold out it always seems like there are more home fires.The National Fire Protection Association says home fires occur more in winter than in any season. And half of home heating fires occur between December and February. Here's how you can keep you and your family safe from fire this winter:
- One in every seven home fires, and one in every five home fire deaths involve heating equipment. Make sure your home or apartment HVAC system is in good working order and have it regularly checked by an HVAC professional.
- Keep anything that can burn a minimum of three feet from heat sources like a fireplace, a wood burning stove, space heater or radiator.
- Plug only one heat producing appliance, like a space heater, into an outlet at a time.
- Much like having your furnace or HVAC equipment inspected, if you have a fire place or wood burning stove have your chimney and vents cleaned and inspected every year.
- Store cooled ashes in a tightly covered metal container kept 10 feet or further away from your home or any other building.
Additionally gas fired furnaces, generators and other home heating and cooking appliances can increase your risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Especially in the winter. Not only should you have a working smoke detectors in your home, you should also have a carbon monoxide detector in your home.
Keeping up with maintenance on your HVAC equipment, as well as your chimney and vents, will reduce the chances of your family experiencing a home fire or an incident related to carrbon monoxide poisoning this winter.