Home Heating Safety Tips

Home Heating Safety Tips

News Release: January 10, 2002
Contact: Janice Osborne, Manager-Media & Community Affairs (610) 865-4400, ext. 262

Winter's here and people are inside enjoying the warmth and comfort of their homes as heaters are fired up to stave off the winter chill. But, did you know that home heating is the second leading cause of residential fires? Most home heating fires are caused by poor equipment maintenance or failure to follow basic safety rules. So before you put logs in the fireplace or plug in the electric heater, take some precautions, urges the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley.

Furnaces: Your furnace should be checked regularly by a professional. The flame should burn a bright, steady blue and should never come outside of the furnace. If you hear or smell natural gas leaking from your furnace lines, evacuate the house immediately and use a phone outside the house to call 911.

Fireplaces: Fireplace chimneys regularly build up creosote which can ignite, leading to a serious fire. Chimneys need to be cleaned out frequently and inspected for cracks and obstructions. Never burn trash, paper, or green wood in your fireplace because these are difficult to control and cause heavy creosote buildup. And use a fireplace screen that is both big enough to cover the entire opening of the fireplace to catch flying sparks and heavy enough to stop rolling logs.

Wood Stoves: Wood stoves cause over 9,000 residential fires a year. When buying a wood stove, look for solid construction of plate steel or cast-iron metal. Inspect and clean your stovepipe and chimney on a regular basis and check monthly for damage or obstructions. Be sure to keep combustible objects at least three feet from the stove. Be sure to check with your local fire department and check local codes before having your stove installed.

Space Heaters: Supplemental heaters like electric and kerosene heaters cause more than 120,000 fires a year. You should only use heaters with the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) safety listing. Read and follow all instructions in the owner's manual. The heater should be placed on the floor, away from combustible materials, and out of high-traffic areas. Never put anything on top of your space heater. Never leave the heater unattended or with unsupervised children. Electric heaters should be unplugged if you go to bed or leave the house. Kerosene heaters should be turned off if you go to bed or leave the house. And use only crystal clear K-1 kerosene in your kerosene heater -- never gasoline or camp stove fuel.

Carbon Monoxide: Along with fire, another potential danger of home heating is carbon monoxide poisoning. If you have any appliances or equipment that burn fuel such as propane or natural gas, fuel oil, kerosene, wood, coal, pellets, etc., you should install a carbon monoxide detector.

Smoke Detectors: Smoke detectors save lives. Install a smoke alarm outside each sleeping area and on each additional level of your home. Use the test button to check each smoke alarm once a month. Keep new batteries on hand. When necessary, replace batteries immediately. Replace all batteries at least once a year.

Fire Extinguishers: Consider having one or more working fire extinguishers in your home. Look at the fire extinguisher to ensure it is properly charged. Use the gauge or test button to check proper pressure. If the unit is low on pressure, damaged, or corroded, replace it or have it professionally serviced. Get training from the fire department in how to use them. Only adults should handle and use extinguishers.

Have a Plan: Be serious about the responsibility of planning for and practicing what to do in case of a fire. Draw a floor plan of your home. Make two fire escape routes for each room. Pick a safe outside place to meet after escaping from a fire. Practice a crawl-low escape from your bedroom. Try it with your eyes closed to see how well you could do in thick smoke. Conduct a home fire drill at least twice a year with all members of your household.

Know Your Local Emergency Numbers: Post emergency telephone numbers by phones (fire, police, ambulance, etc.) Teach children how and when to call 911.

The American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley serves more than 660,000 residents in Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties. Last year the Red Cross provided health and safety education training and emergency relief services to more than 20,000 Greater Lehigh Valley residents.

For more information, call the Red Cross at (610) 865-4400 or visit www.redcrosslv.org.