Winter House Fires Happen

2/20/2024 (Permalink)

Remember to take the safety measures necessary to avoid a house fire.

It’s officially winter so furnaces are turned on and we are spending more time indoors. Sometimes we forget that winter house fires happen, and sometimes more frequently than other seasons. Each year fires affect around 375,000 homes a year. House fires can be devastating and will cause over 7 billion dollars in damages each year.

Take some time to review these important safety measures to ensure that you are reducing your risk of experiencing a house fire:

• Avoid smoking while laying down. Surprisingly enough, people fall asleep while smoking and it is continuously a leading cause of fire related deaths.
• Unplug appliances that are not in use. Some appliances have automatic features that will keep the appliance on at all times so they can be turned on right away. These appliances should always be unplugged when not in use!
• Make sure that nothing is laying on top of power strips.
• Always unplug hair dryers, curling irons, and flat irons. Make sure these hair tools are always placed on a flat, hard surface. Soft surfaces or cloth can catch fire.
• Make sure portable heaters are 3 feet away from any object. Portable heaters are the second leading cause of house fires.
• When cooking food, do not leave the stovetop or oven unattended. Make sure to keep all pot and pan handles facing towards the wall and out of reach from children.
• Use baking soda to extinguish grease fires, as water will make them spread.
• Keep batteries in your smoke detectors and test them frequently.