By Robert Ambrose

Cold weather is here, and since you’re likely planning to heat your home again this winter, the elevated energy costs (e.g., natural gas, oil and electric) have you concerned. The likelihood of experiencing a home fire increases during cold weather months, often because of dangerous home heating practices. This blog focuses on preventing destructive fires to help protect your family and home.

Carelessness brings pain! Follow these tips to heat your home safely:

• Paper or fabric and heat do not mix. Please move flammable materials (e.g., paper, clothes, curtains, rugs) at least three feet from a portable space heater, a fireplace or stove.
• Never leave the heater or fireplace to tend to itself. Be there to monitor the space heater or fireplace. Before going to bed, shut down the heater or make sure fireplace cinders are fully extinguished.
• Have your chimney, fireplace, wood stove, or coal stove professionally inspected and cleaned annually. Kids and space heaters need to be separated; same for pets.
• Winterize your home to prevent cold air drafts with insulation, like storm windows or plastic coating over the windows to help you stay warm.

Another way to protect your home is to test your smoke alarms. With working smoke alarms, you and your loved ones have a 50% higher chance of surviving a home fire. Practice your fire escape plan with your family and have a meeting point outside your home so you can count how many family members might need rescued. Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including an escape plan to practice with your family. You can also download the free Red Cross Emergency app from any app store. 

Since wintertime can bad storms, losing power is a possibility. It’s dark and the stores are closed. But no worries because you are prepared! You have a three-day supply of food and water per person, a radio and extra batteries for the radio and flashlights. Sand, rock salt or kitty litter comes in handy to make your outdoor walkways less of a slip hazard. Warm coats, gloves or mittens, hats, boots and warm clothing for all household members, along with extra blankets should tide you over until the power is re-activated. If you have them, alternative heating sources like a fireplace, wood stove or coal stove could help as long as they are used safely (review the above tips!).

Get more heating safety info here.