Preventing Winter Fires

1/6/2022 (Permalink)

Simple prevention measures can help keep you from experiencing fire damage like this.

It’s easy to overlook, but the risk of house fires actually increases in the winter months.  In fact, “half of all home heating fires occur in December, January, and February” according to the U.S. Fire Administration.  Many factors contribute to this, including unkempt fireplaces, improper electrical appliance usage, and candles.  All of these made worse by the colder weather.  So, before you get too cozy indoors this winter, take a moment to enact some simple fire prevention steps.

It may be simple, but before you start using your fireplace, have a professional clean and inspect your chimney and vents to make sure they are safe to use.  Optimally, this should be done every year.  You should also make sure to store the cooled ashes from your fireplace in a tightly covered metal container and keep the container outside at least 10 feet away from any buildings.

To reduce the risk of electrical fires, make sure you plug only one heat-producing appliance directly into a wall outlet at a time.  This includes space heaters and kitchen appliances like microwaves and toasters.  Also, it is important to never use an extension cords with these appliances, as it increases the chance of sparks.

As for candle safety, the most important tip is to make sure you keep all lit candles at least 12 inches away from anything flammable.  In fact, it is recommended to use battery-operated flameless candles instead of real ones in the event of power outages.

With these simple tips in your back pocket, you can rest easy, and enjoy the warmth and comfort of your house during these cold months.  For more information on preventing winter fires, make sure to visit the National Fire Protection Association’s website here: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Seasonal-fire-causes/Put-A-Freeze-on-Winter-Fires.  And if you do experience a fire this winter, we are always here to help restore your house “Like it never even happened."