Red Cross home heating safety tips

By: The American Red Cross | Hickory Daily Record
Published: December 20, 2011

Fire Facts:

Heating fires are the second-leading cause of home fires.
Fixed and portable space heaters, including wood stoves, are involved in 74 percent of fire-related deaths.
Nearly half of American families use alternative heating sources such as space heaters, fireplaces, or wood/coal stoves to stay warm.
Each year over 200 people die from carbon monoxide produced by fuel burning appliances in the home including furnaces, ranges, water heaters and room heaters.
The number of home fires the American Red Cross has responded to has risen 10 percent since 2000.
Only 26 percent of families have developed and practiced a home fire escape plan.
Having a working smoke alarm reduces one’s chances of dying in a fire by nearly half.

Prevention Tips:

Keep all potential sources of fuel like paper, clothing, bedding or rugs at least three feet away from space heaters, stoves, or fireplaces.
Portable heaters and fireplaces should never be left unattended. Turn off space heaters and make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home.
If you must use a space heater, place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
When buying a space heater, look for models that shut off automatically as a safety measure.
if the heater falls over.
Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
Keep fire in your fireplace by using a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and furnaces professionally inspected and cleaned once a year.