Home Heating Safety Tips

Winter is coming and when the temperature drops, many of us find comfort in curling up by the fireplace or heater. Unfortunately, heating devices are a leading cause of home fires and injuries. With the help of these safety tips from the Fire Marshal, you can help prevent heating-related fires from occurring: 

• Unplug space heaters when you go to bed or leave the room
• Never use the oven to heat your home
• Clear a space of at least three feet from heating equipment 
• Maintain a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters
• Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year
• Use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning heaters
• Ensure that fireplaces has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room
• Test smoke alarms at least once a month
• Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms to avoid risk of CO poisoning.