Avoid Home Heating Fires This Winter

12/11/2019 (Permalink)

Stay warm and cozy—and above all, safe—this winter! Take these precautions during home heating season to prevent a house fire.

Home fires caused by heating equipment make up about 15% of all reported home fires every year. And it’s no surprise that half of all these home heating fires occur in the prime heating months of December, January and February.

It’s hard to imagine your house catching on fire, imperiling your family’s lives and destroying your property, but it can happen if you aren’t careful with how you heat your home.

Stay safe this winter by being extra cautious when heating your home. These simple safety tips can help prevent heating fires while you and your family keep warm.

General Heating Safety

• Keep flammable items at least 3 feet from all heat sources, including fireplaces, space heaters, wood stoves, radiators and candles.
• Have your furnaces and chimneys inspected, cleaned and maintained every year.
• Don’t use your oven as a heating source.

Space Heater Safety

Space heaters are the most common source of home heating fires, so take extra caution when you use these convenient heaters.

• Buy a space heater that shuts off automatically in case it overheats or tips over.
• Plug the heater directly into a wall outlet, not an extension cord or power strip.
• Keep a 3-foot clear area around the space heater.
• Keep children and pets away from the heater.
• Turn the heater off before going to sleep or leaving the room.
• Always turn the heater off when you leave your home.

Fireplace Safety

• Place a metal screen or glass partition in front of your fireplace to prevent sparks from flying into the room.
• Put the fire out before you go to sleep or leave your home.
• After fire damage cleanup, store the ashes in a metal container with a lid. Bring them outside and place them at least three feet away from your home or garage.

Wood Stove Safety

• Place your stove on a noncombustible, fire-resistant base.
• Burn dry wood, not paper.
• Never use flammable fluids to start the fire.
• Put the fire out before you go to sleep or leave your home.

If you’ve suffered fire damage to your home or business, call SERVPRO of Manchester/Mansfield today at (860)461-7194

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The team at SERVPRO of Manchester/Mansfield has specialized training and experience in fire restoration services, natural disaster and storm damage cleanup, water damage remediation and chemical cleanup. Call SERVPRO of Manchester/Mansfield (860)461-7194 any time.

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If you’ve suffered fire damage to your home or business, call SERVPRO of Manchester/Mansfield today at (860)461-7194