Here are 9 things you can do to prevent a fire in your home this winter.
- Keep all flammables at least three feet away all heating equipment and devices.
- Check all of your electrical cords for frays and cracks, and discard any that aren’t fit for use.
- Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Never use your oven or stove top as a source of heat.
- Always use the specified type of fuel for fuel burning space heaters.
- Don’t overload electrical circuits. As a general rule of thumb, stick with one device per outlet.
- Have a fire extinguisher in every room that has lit candles, space heaters or other potential fire hazards.
- Have your chimney cleaned each year to prevent a buildup of flammable residue.
- Make sure your portable heaters are in safe working condition before operating them.
Finally, make sure your smoke alarms are functioning properly so that if a fire does start, you will be warned.