Put a Freeze on Winter Fires

2/20/2015 (Permalink)

According to FEMA, home fires occur more in winter than in any other season. 

In fact:

• Half of all home heating fires occur in the months of December, January & February.
• Heating equipment is involved in 1 in every 6 reported home fires & 1 in every 5 home fire deaths.

Here are some tips to avoid damage to your property this winter:

1. Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from any heat source like fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators or space heaters.
2. Keep portable generators outside, away from windows and as far away as possible from your house. 
3. Install and test carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month.
4. Have a qualified professional clean and inspect your chimney and vents every year.
5. Store cooled ashes in a tightly covered metal container, and keep it outside at least 10 feet from your home and any nearby buildings.
6. Plug only 1 heat-producing appliance (such as a space heater) into an electrical outlet at a time.

For more information on how to prevent winter fires, you can visit www.usfa.fema.gov/winter/