Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management : Tip of the Week: Home Heating Fire Danger During the Winter

January 11, 2016

Winter Fire Safety - Is Your Home Safe?

According the Philadelphia Fire Department, heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires during the months of December, January, & February. Following these Winter Fire Safety tips from the U.S. Fire Administration and Philadelphia Fire Department:

• Inspect and maintain heating equipment regularly.
• Keep a three foot clearance between heating equipment and anything that can burn.
• Do not use your oven or stove burners to heat your home. It is a fire hazard and can be a source of toxic fumes.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of the home and, if possible, near every sleeping area. Test them on a monthly basis.
• Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• If there is a fire hydrant near your home, help the fire department by keeping the hydrant clear of snow, so they can locate and use it in the event of a fire.

Space Heaters:

• Have fixed space heaters installed or inspected by a qualified technician, according to manufacturer's instructions or applicable codes.
• Buy portable space heaters with labels listing a recognized testing laboratory.
• Turn off space heaters every time you leave the room and before going to bed.
• Choose space heaters that turn off automatically if they tip over.
• Never use a space heater to dry clothing.
• Do not use an extension cord with a space heater unless the cord is properly rated and checked regularly.

Oil or Kerosene Heaters:

• Never use fuel burning appliances without proper ventilation.
• Only use the fuel recommended by the heater manufacturer.
• Never fill the heater while it is operating or hot. When refueling an oil or kerosene unit, avoid overfilling.
• Refueling should be done outside of the home.

Fireplaces:

• Have the chimney inspected annually and cleaned, if necessary.
• Keep a glass or metal screen in front of a fireplace opening to prevent embers or sparks from jumping out.
• Never burn charcoal indoors. It can give off legal amounts of carbon monoxide.
• Never close your damper with hot ashes in the fireplace.
• Never break a synthetic log apart or use more than one log at a time. They often burn unevenly and release higher levels of carbon monoxide.