JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Heating is the second leading cause of home fires and injuries, and the third leading cause of home fire deaths, according to the National Fire Prevention Association.
Half of home heating fires are reported during the months of December, January and February.
The following safety tips and precautions can prevent most heating fires from happening:
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove and portable space heaters.
- Have a three-foot kid-free and pet-free zone around open fires and space heaters.
- Never use a stove or oven to heat the home.
- Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
- Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel-burning space heaters.
- Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks and embers from flying into the room. Ashes should be cooled before putting them in a metal container.
- Make sure smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button, at least once a month.
When it comes to wood-burning stoves, install them following the manufacturer’s instructions or have a professional install them.
All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide, or CO, poisoning. Install and maintain CO alarms to avoid the risk of CO poisoning.
If you smell gas in your gas heater or gas appliances, do not light the appliance. Evacuate the home immediately and call 911 to report an emergency.
For more information about heating safety, visit the National Fire Prevention Association at www.nfpa.org/education or contact one of the Joint Base San Antonio fire prevention offices at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston at 210-221-2727, at JBSA-Lackland at 210-671-2921, or at JBSA-Randolph at 210-652-6915.