According to the U.S. Fire Administration, more house fires happen in the winter than any other time of the year. In fact, half of all annual home heating fires occur during December, January, and February. Statistics say that there is $2 billion in property loss each year from winter home fires and they result in 30 percent of all fire deaths. These statistics are shocking, and that’s why we want to give you some tips about how you can stay safe this season.
Testing isn’t just for students
The majority of fire incidents can be avoided by ensuring heating equipment is tested and operating properly. It’s important to test your smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide detectors on a monthly basis to ensure that all of your equipment is working properly in the case of an emergency. What’s even better than that? Having your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors hooked up to your EPS life safety and security system and monitored by the EPS Monitoring Center. Monitored smoke and carbon monoxide alarms provide the quickest response times, can react to a fire emergency when you’re not home, and can help you save money on homeowners insurance.
Create a “three feet rule”
Heating is the second leading cause of home fires after cooking, and 29 percent of home heating fires happen because the heat source is too close to flammable household items. The first rule of thumb for heating fire safety is to keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from any heat source such as fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators, or space heaters. Additionally, only plug in one heat producing appliance into an electrical outlet at a time, and always turn it off before leaving a room, even if it is only for a few minutes!
A clean house is a safe house
An open fireplace or a wood furnace are popular and enjoyable home amenities. However if they are not maintained properly, risk of fire, property damage, and dangerous levels of carbon monoxide can occur. Furthermore, heating equipment is involved in 1 of every 6 reported home fires and 1 in every 5 home fire deaths. Be sure to have a qualified professional clean and inspect your chimney and vents every year. When emptying and cleaning out a fireplace, store cooled ashes in a tightly covered metal container, and store it outside at least ten feet from your home and nearby buildings.
Don’t be a Doofus
For more tips and tricks about winter and heating safety, visit NFPA’s website here.
If you are interested in a monitored fire alarm system, or learning more about how EPS can keep you feeling safe and secure this holiday season click the link below!