Winter Fire Safety
12/20/2022
Winter Fire Safety
Heating is the second leading cause of U.S. home fires, deaths and injuries. December , January and February are the peak months for heating fires. Space heaters are the type of equipment most often involved in home heating equipment fires, figuring in two of every five fires (40%). Here is everything you need to know about keeping your family and home safe from fire this winter season!
- Use your fireplace safely. Always use a metal or heat-tempered glass screen when using your fireplace.
- Keep wood stoves doors closed unless adding wood or pellets or stoking the fire.
- Never Use an oven or stovetop to heat your home.
- Make sure your space heater has an automatic shut-off. If it tips over, it shuts off.
Facts About Home Heating Fires
- From 2013-2015, an average of 45,900 home heating fires occured in the United States each year.
- Heating was the second leading cause of home fires after cooking.
- Home heating fires peaked in the early evening hours between 5 and 9 p.m. with the highest peak between 6 and 8 p.m.
- Home heating fires peaked in January (21%) and declined to the lowest point from June to August.
- Confined fires accounted for 75% of home heating fires.
- Twenty-nine percent of the non-confined home heating fires happened because the heat source (like a space heater or fire place) was too close to things that can burn.
Safety and Your Tree - Quick Tips
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heaters.
- Have a three-foot "kid-free zone" around open fires and space heaters.
- Never use your oven to heat your home.
- Always use the right kind of fuel for fuel burning space heaters.
- Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
- Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room.