Winter Fire Safety Tips

Holiday Time

Winter time is holiday time. And that means lots of cooking, lots of entertaining and, unfortunately, lots of opportunities for house fires to occur. State Fire Marshal Stephen K. Woltz urges Ohio families to pay particular attention to fire safety during the holiday season. During last year’s holiday season (November 20, 2005 to January 8, 2006) 20 people died in the 2,472 residential fires that occurred in Ohio. 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, plants, 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 of the bottom of the trunk before putting the tree in the stand. Add water and check 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 number one 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 and 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.

Fireplaces and Heaters

• Before starting a fire in a 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 a mat (ones 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.

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 16,000 fires in the place we feel safest – our homes. Fire data shows that over the past five years, on average, nearly half of the 126 people that died each year in residential fires in Ohio 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, change your batteries.
• Install smoke detectors on each level of your home and in sleeping areas. Sleep with your bedroom door closed.
• Develop an escape plan with two ways out from each room.
• Practice your fire escape plan with your family – at least twice a year, including 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.
• Don’t use your oven or stove 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 reach of children - preferably in a locked cabinet. If your child sees you lighting candles or starting the fireplace, they make think it is OK for them to do it. Teach your kids about fire safety - matches and lighters are "tools" for adults, not "toys" for kids.
• Contact your local fire department for additional fire safety information or for help to conduct a winter fire safety check of your home.

For more fire safety tips, visit the State Fire Marshal Web site at
http://www.com.state.oh.us/sfm/