Boone County Fire District Offers Alternative Heat Source Safety Precautions
Gale Blomenkamp, Division Chief - Monday, January 04, 2010
As the frigid temperatures set in here in Mid Missouri, many residents will be searching for an alternative heat source to help keep their home warm and comfortable. The Boone County Fire Protection District would like to remind our residents of these safety precautions and provide some facts and figures.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), nearly half of all home-heating fires occur during the winter months. On average, NFPA research shows that heating equipment is involved in roughly 70,000 reported U.S. home structure fires, with associated loss of more than 600 civilian deaths, almost 1,600 civilian injuries and more than $1 billion in direct property damage.
“While these numbers are frightening, nearly all of these fires are preventable,” said Division Chief Gale Blomenkamp. “We can try to reduce the number of home heating fires in Boone County by taking some simple precautions and using heating equipment properly”, he added.
Boone County Fire District recommends some simple home heating safety tips, so residents can help keep their community safe and warm this winter.
• Have your chimney inspected each year and cleaned if necessary.
• Use a sturdy fireplace screen.
• Allow ashes to cool before disposing. Dispose of ashes in a metal container.
• In wood stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood. In pellet stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood pellets.
• Space heaters need space. Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
• Turn portable heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.
• Plug power cord only into outlets with sufficient capacity and never into an extension cord.
• Inspect for cracked or broken plugs or loose connections. Replace before using.
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home so that when one sounds, they all sound. Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
• Install and maintain a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside each sleeping area.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
If residents have questions or would like more information, please contact the Boone County Fire Protection District or your local fire authority.
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