FIREFIGHTERS URGE CAUTION IN HOME HEATING
AS COLD WEATHER SETS IN
AS COLD WEATHER SETS IN
Forecasts for cold temperatures in coming days and weeks will have citizens turning on their heaters for the first time in many months, installing portable heating units, or using their fireplaces, and all of these things involve risks. St. Tammany Fire District 1 officials are urging residents to use exceptional caution in keeping their homes warm.
To keep citizens safe, firefighters recommend the following safety tips:
- Maintain a three-foot separation between combustible materials and heating equipment.
- When buying a new space heater, make sure it carries the mark of an independent testing laboratory.
- Install your stationary space heater according to manufacturer\’s instructions or applicable codes or, better yet, have it installed by a professional.
- Plug your electric-powered space heater into an outlet with sufficient capacity and never into an extension cord.
- Use the proper grade of the proper fuel for your liquid-fueled space heater, and never use gasoline in any heater not approved for gasoline use. Refuel only in a well-ventilated area and when the equipment is cool.
- In your fireplace or wood stove, use only dry, seasoned wood to avoid the build-up of creosote, an oily deposit that easily catches fire and accounts for most chimney fires. Use only paper or kindling wood, not a flammable liquid, to start the fire. Do not use artificial logs in wood stoves.
- Make sure your fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from flying into the room. Allow fireplace and woodstove ashes to cool before disposing in a metal container, which is kept a safe distance from your home.
- Turn off space heaters whenever the room they are in is unoccupied or under circumstances when manufacturer\’s instructions say they should be turned off. Portable space heaters are so easy to knock over in the dark that they should be turned off when you go to bed, but make sure your primary heating equipment for bedrooms is sufficient to avoid risks to residents from severe cold.
- Do not use your oven to heat your home.
- Make sure fuel-burning equipment is vented to the outside, that the venting is kept clear and unobstructed, and that the exit point is properly sealed around the vent, all of which is to make sure deadly carbon monoxide does not build up in the home.
- Inspect all heating equipment annually, and clean as necessary. Test smoke alarms monthly; install a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside each sleeping area.
\”Home heating remains one of the leading causes of residential structure fires nationwide,\” said Fire District 1 Chief Larry Hess. \”While the men and women of Fire District 1 stand ready to assist 24 hours a day and while residents should never hesitate to call 911 at the earliest sign of fire, the best firefighting is fire prevention.\”
For more information or to schedule a safety presentation at your church, civic group or homeowners association, contact FD1 at 985.646.4387, or visit www.stfpd1.org.
Media contact: James Hartman, 504.458.4600 or [email protected].