According to Evesham Fire-Rescue, heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths.
Officials with Evesham Fire-Rescue said the organization wishes to provide reminders for home heating as the township enters into the upcoming winter months.
According to Evesham Fire-Rescue, heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths, and half of home heating equipment fires are reported during the months of December, January, and February.
However, Evesham Fire-Rescue officials believe that simple steps can prevent most heating-related fires from happening.
According to Evesham Fire-Rescue, more than one-third of Americans use fireplaces, wood stoves, and other fuel-fired appliances as primary heat sources in their homes.
However, Evesham Fire-Rescue officials say that many people are unaware of the fire risks when heating with wood and solid fuels, as heating fires account for 36 percent of residential home fires every year. According to officials, often these fires are due to creosote buildup in chimneys and stovepipes, as home heating systems require regular maintenance to function safely and efficiently.
To promote home-heating safety this winter, Evesham Fire-Rescue officials ask locals to be aware of the following tips:
· Keep fireplaces, wood stoves and gas furnaces clean.
· Have a chimney, wood stove or gas-fired furnace inspected and cleaned annually by a qualified professional.
· Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters and clear the area around heat sources of debris, decorations and flammable materials.
· Never use an oven or stove to heat a home.
· Leave glass doors open while using a fireplace. Leaving the doors open ensures that a fire receives enough air to ensure complete combustion and keeps creosote from building up in the chimney. Close glass doors when the fire is out to keep air from the chimney opening from getting into the room.
· Never use flammable liquids to start a fire.
· Build small fires that burn completely and produce less smoke.
· Never burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in a fireplace or wood stove.
· Soak hot ashes in water and place them in a metal container outside a home.
· Never clean ashes from a fireplace and place them inside of a trash can inside of a home.
· Make sure that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in a home and test them at least once a month.
