Winter Home Safety Tips

It is winter and here are some tips to keep you and your loved ones safe.

Fireplace safety

Burn only seasoned hardwood like pine, oak, ash or maple. Do not burn trash, cardboard boxes or Christmas trees because these items burn unevenly, may contain poisons or cause a home fire.
Have a professional chimney sweep inspect chimneys every year. They will fix any cracks, blockages and leaks and clean out any build-up in the chimney that could start a fire. Creosote logs can be used to help reduce the build-up of creosote in fireplaces. Check labels to make sure the log has been tested and approved by UL. Even if you use creosote logs, fireplaces should still be inspected by a professional each year.
Open flues before fireplaces are used
Keep young children away from working wood stoves and heaters to avoid contact burn injuries. Use sturdy screens or glass doors to keep embers inside fireplaces and to keep young children from getting burned.
Install at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home and inside or near sleeping areas and at least one Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarm near sleeping areas.

Other heating sources (furnaces and space heaters)

Have a trained professional inspect, clean and tune-up your home’s central heating system and repair leaks or other problems.
Keep gas appliances properly adjusted and serviced.
Never use an oven or range to heat your home
Never use a gas or charcoal grill inside your home or in a closed garage.
Space heaters need to have plenty of space around them.
- Place space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn – including furniture, people, pets and curtains.
- There should always be an adult in the room when a space heater is on. Turn off space heaters before leaving a room or going to sleep.Supervise children and pets at all times when a portable space heater is in use. Never use space heaters to dry clothing or blankets.