December, January and February are the leading months for home fires and fire deaths in the US. One average, more than one-third of home fire deaths in the US occur during the winter months. According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), heating equipment fires are the second leading cause of fore deaths in American homes.
NFPA suggested ten things you can do this winter to stay safe from fire:
- All heaters need space. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
- Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
- Never use your oven to heat your home.
- Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
- Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
- Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel-burning space heaters.
- Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container with a lid. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
- Make sure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside each bedroom and outside each sleeping area.
- Develop and practice a home escape plan that includes two ways out of each room and an outside meeting place.
