Winter Fire Safety Tips
Winter time is holiday time – and that means lots of cooking, lots of entertaining, and unfortunately, lots of opportunities for house fires to occur. The Division of State Fire Marshal urges Ohio families to pay particular attention to fire safety during the holiday season. During last year’s holiday season (November 27, 2008 – January 4, 2009) in Ohio, 18 people died in 2,003 residential fires. These same fires also produced $24.3 million in losses. Follow these fire prevention tips to help keep your family safer during the winter months.
Decorations
- Use only noncombustible or flame-resistant materials when decorating.
- Never use lighted candles on or near a tree, plans or combustible materials.
Extinguish candles before leaving the house or going to bed.
- Keep small children and pets in mind when placing decorations on a tree.
- When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. Make sure the needles are
soft and don’t fall off. Live trees need water, and lots of it. Cut about one
inch off the bottom of the trunk before putting the tree in the stand. Add
water and check the tree daily. Dry trees can burn in seconds.
- Do not block your exit door with your tree.
- Remove live trees from your home as soon as possible. Most Christmas tree
fires occur on or after New Year’s Day.
- Check each light set for damaged sockets or wires. Discard light sets and
extension cords that are worn or cracked
- Use UL approved light sets. Follow the manufacturer recommendations
concerning the maximum number of light sets that can be connected together.
- Replace burnt out bulbs with bulbs of the same wattage as indicated on the
tag attached to the light set.
- Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house.
- Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. You could be electrocuted.
- Use only light sets and extension cords marked “for outdoor use” outside your
home.
- Fasten outdoor lights securely with insulated clips or hooks. Use circuits
protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).
Cooking
- Cooking-related fires are the No. 1 cause of fires in your home.
- Do not leave cooking food unattended. If you must leave, turn off all cooking
appliances.
- Keep any combustible materials such as towels, potholders, papers, etc., away
from any heat source. Don’t wear loose fitting clothing while cooking.
- Do not attempt to move a pan of grease that is on fire. Put a lid on the pan
to smother the fire, then turn off the heat, or use an ABC-rated fire
extinguisher. Alert your family so they can evacuate safely.
- Be sure to turn pot handles towards the back of the stove. Small children are
generally curious and may reach for a handle to see what is in the pot. They
could get burned.
- Keep pets off cooking surfaces and countertops to prevent them from knocking things onto the burner.
Fireplaces and Heaters
- Before starting a fire in the fireplace, remove all decorations (including
stockings hung by the fireplace) and be sure the flue is open.
- Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. They can burn extremely fast,
throwing off sparks and can ignite creosote that has previously accumulated in
the chimney.
- Always use a screen in front of the fireplace. Also consider using a
fire-resistant carpet or mat (made for fireplaces) on the floor in front of the
fireplace.
- Keep all combustible materials, including wrapping paper at least 3 feet away
from any heater – space heaters need space.
- When plugging in electric heaters, make sure that the outlet was designed to
handle the load. Be safe. Do not plug anything else into the socket with the
heater.
- When using kerosene heaters, make sure you use the correct fuel, only. The
wrong fuel may cause a fire or explosion. Only fill to 90 percent. Kerosene
will expand once indoors. Always refuel the heater outside after it cools.
General Fire Safety
One of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from a house fire is by having working smoke detectors in your home. By providing early warning of fire, smoke detectors can double your chances of escaping a fire safely. Annually, there are about 15,300 fires in the place we feel safest – our homes. Fire data shows that over the past three years, on average, nearly 75% of the people who died each year in Ohio residential fires did not have a working smoke detector in their home. Follow these tips to keep you, your family and your belongings safe from fire:
- Check your smoke detectors monthly. Only a working smoke detector can save
your life.
- Replace the batteries in your smoke detectors twice a year. When you change
your clocks for Daylight Savings, change your batteries.
- Install smoke detectors on each level of your home and sleeping areas. Sleep
with your bedroom door closed.
- Develop an escape plan with your family – at least twice a year. Include a
nighttime drill.
- Make sure overnight guests also know your fire escape plan.
- Install a carbon monoxide detector if you have any appliance or device that
has a flame – stove, water heater, furnace, fireplace, space heater, etc.
- Do not use your stove or oven to heat your house.
Smoking-related fires are the number one cause of fire fatalities in Ohio.
Provide plenty of large, deep ashtrays and check them frequently. Cigarette
butts can smolder in the trash and cause a fire, so completely douse any
smoking material with water before discarding.
- After a party, always check on, between and under upholstery and cushions and inside trashcans for smoking materials that may be smoldering.
- Keep matches and lighters up high, out of sight and out of reach from children – preferably in a locked cabinet. If your child sees you lighting candles or starting the fireplace, they may think it’s OK for them to do it. Teach your kids about fire safety. Matches and lighters are “tools” for adults, not “toys” for children.
- If a fire occurs in your home, GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL for help.
- Contact your local fire department for additional fire safety information or for help to conduct a winter fire safety check of your home.
In Case of Fire, Follow Your Escape Plan
Remember to GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL 911 or your local emergency phone number.
- If closed doors or handles are warm, use your second way out. Never open doors that are warm to the touch.
- Crawl low under smoke.
- Go to your outside meeting place and then call for help.
- If smoke, heat or flames block your exit routes, stay in the room with the doors closed. Place a wet towel under the door and call the fire department or 911. Open a window and wave a brightly colored cloth or flashlight to signal for help.
Use Caution with Fire Extinguishers
Use a portable fire extinguisher only if you’ve been trained by the fire department and in the following conditions:
- The fire is confined to a small area and is not growing.
- The room is not filled with smoke.
- Everyone has exited the building.
- The fire department has been called.
- Remember the word PASS when using a fire extinguisher:
- Pull the pin and hold the extinguisher with the nozzle pointing away from you.
- Aim low. Point the extinguisher at the base of the fire.
- Squeeze the lever slowly and evenly.
- Sweep the nozzle from side to side.
