| With the Winter season right around the corner the Rye Fire Department would like to remind you of some safety tips for your home to prevent a fire from happening. Many home owners don't realize the importance of having their chimney cleaned or that space heaters not used properly can lead to a house fire.
According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA) More than one-third of Americans use fireplaces, wood stoves and other fuel-fired appliances as primary heat sources in their homes. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the fire risks when heating with wood and solid fuels. And according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in 2010, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 57,100 reported U.S. home structure fires, with associated losses of 490 civilian deaths, 1,540 civilian injuries, and $1.1 billion in direct property damage. These fires accounted for 16% of all reported home fires.
The Rye Fire Department, the NFPA and USFA encourage you to practice the following tips for your fireplace or wood stove:
- Keep Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Clean
- Have your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleaned annually by a certified chimney specialist.
- Leave glass doors open while burning a fire. Leaving the doors open ensures that the fire receives enough air to ensure complete combustion and keeps creosote from building up in the chimney.
- Close glass doors when the fire is out to keep air from the chimney opening from getting into the room. Most glass fireplace doors have a metal mesh screen which should be closed when the glass doors are open. This mesh screen helps keep embers from getting out of the fireplace area.
- Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces that do not have a glass fireplace door.
- Keep air inlets on wood stoves open, and never restrict air supply to fireplaces. Otherwise you may cause creosote buildup that could lead to a chimney fire.
- Use fire-resistant materials on walls around wood stoves.
-Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
-Have a three-foot "kid-free zone" around open fires and space heaters.
-Never use your oven to heat your home.
-Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
A few tips for when using a space heater from the NFPA:
-When shopping for an electric space heater, look for proof that the model you buy has been tested by Underwriters Laboratory (UL) or another reputable testing organization.
-Turn off heaters when you leave the room or go to bed.
-Place the heater on a flat, solid surface.
-Keep everything that can burn, such as paper and bedding, at least 3 feet away from the heater.
-Keep kids 3 feet away from space heaters.
-Purchase portable space heaters with an automatic shut-off that activates when the heater tips over.
-Do not use extension cords with space heaters. Plug the cords directly into outlets.
-Do not use an electric space heater with a damaged cord or plugs.
-Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer's instructions.
-Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
Remember to test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarm batteries in your house in the next few weeks, usually when we change the clocks with daylight savings, to make sure they are working properly. If you have any questions or concerns don't hesitate to call the fire department. |
