Keep Your Home Safe From Fires This Winter 

The winter offers a lot to look forward to—cozy nights with a blanket and a book, running around in the snow only to come in for a warm cup of hot cocoa, a fire in the fireplace during the holiday season. While all of these things make for great memories, make sure you aren’t forgetting to think about fire safety. 

When preparing your house for winter, consider how the colder months can lead to unique fire hazards. Here are some suggestions to keep your house fire safe all the time, but especially during the winter. 

Winter Fire Safety

Half of all home heating fires occur in December, January and February, so double check that you’re keeping your home safe before the snow really starts falling. 

Monthly Checkup. With the heater’s turned up and the windows closed, it’s a good idea to check your carbon monoxide detectors at least once per month so you know they are working as they should.  

Don’t Overload an Outlet. Heat producing appliances, like space heaters, use a lot of electricity. So it’s important that you don’t have more than one going into a specific outlet at a time. Otherwise you could overload the circuit and start a fire. 

Generators Need to Stay Outside. When the power goes out during winter storms, many people turn to generators to keep their lights and heating systems up and running. But it is vital to remember that generators need to run outside. If a generator is usedindoors, it can flood the house with carbon monoxide in minutes and put everyone inside it at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. 

Don’t Let Your Pipes Freeze. If pipes in your house freeze, they can burst and cause catastrophic damage that can be expensive to repair. To prevent this from happening, keep the thermostats in your house at 55 degrees or warmer, eliminate sources of cold air near water lines like drafts from doors or windows, and if need be, wrap your pipes in insulation. If the weather stays below freezing, keep the water moving by allowing a trickle of water to run through. 

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Focus on the Fireplace

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 87 percent of residential building heating fires happen in fires started in chimneys, flues or flue burners. The leading factor for these fires was failure to clean the equipment—primarily chimneys. 

A good way to decrease the likelihood of an issue is to have a qualified professional clean and inspect your chimney and vents once per year. Most chimney fires happen when creosote, a tarry byproduct of burning wood, builds up inside the chimney. 

In general, make sure you follow up the cleaning by following some basic fireplaces safety rules. 

• Burn only dry, clean wood.  
• Don’t use flammable liquids to start a fire. 
• Check the damper is open before use so smoke and carbon monoxide doesn’t back up into the home. 
• Use a fireplace screen so sparks and embers don’t leave the fireplace. 

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Fire Safety for the Whole Year

1. Check Your Smoke Alarms 

Smoke alarms are legally required on every level of your home and near bedrooms or sleeping areas. Make sure you test your alarms every month and replace batteries at least once a year.   

2. Create an Escape Plan 

Create a family escape plan. Ensure all family members know their roles in case of a fire, identifying two exits per room and an outdoor meeting point. Practice day and night evacuations, aiming for under two minutes. Assign someone to oversee the safe evacuation of infants, young children, or pets, with a backup person if needed. 

3. Cook Carefully 

Use a thermometer to prevent overheating the oil and causing grease fires. Keep a lid nearby to smother flames in case a grease fire does occur and never use water to put it out. 

4. Dispose of Cigarettes Properly 

Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire related deaths in North America. Do not smoke in bed or when you are drowsy. A misplaced or dropped cigarette can lead to fires. Make sure cigarette butts are soaked with water before being discarded.   

Other helpful tips: 

• Monitor appliances and electrical cords. 

• When cooking, wooden or plastic utensils are less likely to conduct heat and cause burns and keep oven mitts or potholders handy to protect your hands.   

• Store all matches and lighters up high where children cannot see or reach them. 

• Use a Quality Space Heater and place it on a stable, flat surface. 

• Never leave your space heater running unattended. 

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Keches Law Can Help

Accidents happen and if negligence is involved you may need to consider legal action. Here’s what you should consider: 

Keches Law Group has an experienced team of personal injury attorneys who are ready to hear your story and walk you through the process. Contact us today if you have any questions.