Keep Safe During This Festive Time of the Year

1/15/2021 (Permalink)

Only YOU Can Prevent Winter Home Fires

While it may seem counter-intuitive, the winter season is high time for home fires in the community. According to the US Fire Administration, home fires occur most often in the winter, which means we all need to be more aware of how we are heating our houses, decorating, and cooking our wintertime meals. As a matter of fact, cooking is the leading cause of all winter home fires.

Winter storms also contribute to the increased home fire risks during this season. As stated by the Texas fire department, prolonged outages often increase the risk of residential fires, and these outages often occur as a result of a heavy buildup of snow and ice on powerlines and trees. When the power is out, alternative methods of lighting and heating come into play, and these can be hazardous. Candles, generators, and propane heaters are just a few examples of some potentially dangerous workarounds that people employ during outages.

And fires aren’t the only hazard that is increased by winter weather. Beware of the “silent killer”, carbon monoxide. It’s an odorless, colorless gas that’s created when fuels like gasoline, wood, coal, propane, and others do not burn completely. Heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel can cause carbon monoxide, so always keep this in mind and exercise caution.

Practicing safety is especially important during these winter months, so here are a few quick tips to reduce the risk of home fires and carbon monoxide poisoning this winter:

• Always use a metal or heat-tempered glass screen when using your fireplace
• Keep all combustible materials at least 3 feet from any heat source
• Make sure your space heater has an automatic shut off in case it tips over, and never leave it unsupervised
• Always use charcoal grills outside in a well-ventilated area
• Never bring your generator indoors. Keep it outside in a dry area, away from home air intakes
• Professionally clean your chimney each year before using
• Plug only one heating appliance in an outlet at any given time

Stay safe, Texas! And remember: we’re here 24/7 and “ready for whatever happens”!