These cool temperatures moving through our area will be forcing us to turn up the heat. Things like thermal blankets and heaters will be crossing our minds over these next few months to keep us warm.
The National Fire Protection Association is encouraging individuals to ‘put a freeze on winter fires’. Fires are more prevalent in the winter than any other season.
-Carbon Monoxide is one of the most common incidents during the winter months. This is often known as the silent killer. The colorless, odorless gas is created when fuels, like gasoline, wood, coal, methane, etc., burn incompletely. Vehicles remaining on in closed garages can cause the same effect.
Alarms should be installed in central locations outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. These devices can be purchased at stores like Wal-Mart and are worth putting in your home to save a life.
-Electrical fires can be a huge complication in the winter months. It’s essential to turn space-heaters off when you are finished using it, if you aren’t in the same room as the space heater and remember to turn it off before you go to sleep. Before firing up the heater, be sure to note the surroundings. It’s best to make sure nothing is around, and that the floor itself is not highly flammable.
When the lights are turned down low and you’re snuggled up in a blanket, it’s always nice to light a candle or two to create an ambient evening. However, make sure you do not leave or go to bed with that candle lit.
-Home candle fires typically occur due to its surroundings. According to the NFPA, 56% of fires were caused because of combustible material around the candle.
Also, take note to the batteries in your smoke detector. Home fires are always a pertinent issue this time of year, but if you do have one, you need to know about it and get your family to safety immediately.
Enjoy your warm nights and smell-good candles, but be sure to always stay on top of preventing fires in your home.
