As cooler weather arrives, the American Red Cross urges families to heat their homes safely.
Home fires account for most of the 60,000-plus disasters the agency responds to each year, and home fire responses are 30% higher during cold months than they are in warmer times of year. According to the National Fire Protection Association, space heaters are most often responsible for home-heating fires.
- Advertisement -
Follow these tips to heat your home:
- If you must use a space heater, never leave it unattended. Place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface such as a ceramic tile floor. Don’t place it on rugs and carpets or near bedding and drapes.
- Plug space heater power cords directly into outlets, never into an extension cord. Turn the space heater off every time you leave the room or go to sleep.
- Keep children, pets and anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
- Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
- Never leave a fire burning in the fireplace unattended. Make sure any embers are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home. Use a glass or metal fire screen to keep embers in the fireplace.
- Have furnaces, chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves inspected annually by a professional and cleaned if necessary.
To help protect your family year-round, test smoke alarms monthly and practice a home fire-escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes, the amount of time to get out before it’s too late.
For more information, visit redcross.org.
