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HEATING SAFETY TIPS
By Firefighter / EMT-B Scot Best
February 5, 2010
Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths. Almost half of home heating equipment fires are reported during the months of December, January, and February. Some simple steps can prevent most heating-related fires from happening.
Safety tips • Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater. • Have a three-foot "kid-free zone" around open fires and space heaters. • Never use your oven to heat your home. • Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment • according to the local codes and manufacturer's instructions. • 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 from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home. • Test smoke alarms monthly.
Courtesy: NFPA
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Ridge Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
13820 Point Lookout Road, P.O. Box 520
Ridge, MD 20680
E-mail: info@ridgevfd.org
