Winter is a great time to get cozy and enjoy your home. Follow these important winter fire safety tips to keep your family and property secure all season long.
Winter Fire Safety
Fire safety is a top priority in the winter, especially if you’re going to be decorating with festive lights, enjoying a warm fire, lighting candles, and using portable heaters. Double-checking that you’ve got all of your bases covered by testing smoke alarms and properly extinguishing lit candles and fires in your fireplace is just a start to practicing winter fire safety.
Check Smoke Alarms
House fires are more common during the winter months, so all of your smoke alarms must work properly to keep your family safe. Test each smoke alarm in your home one time every month. Change the batteries twice a year, even if there’s no sign that the batteries are failing. Also, be sure to replace backup batteries in any hardwired devices.
Extinguish Your Fireplace and Lit Candles
A lit candle may not seem dangerous, but wicks can suddenly pop and send embers into the air and onto furniture, carpet, and other flammable materials. Extinguish all candles before bedtime, and if you’re going to go into another room for an extended time, blow out any candles in rooms that you’re not occupying.
Place candles on a level surface well away from fabrics and flooring that could catch fire. Make sure the logs in your fireplace are completely extinguished after each fire.
Fire Safety for Portable Heaters
Portable heaters are great additional heat sources in cold spaces; however, they can also be fire hazards if left unattended or placed too close to flammable objects. A good rule-of-thumb is to place any space heater at least three feet away from anything that could ignite.
Turn off space heaters before bed or if you’re leaving the room. Many portable heaters come with an automatic switch that turns off the heater if it tips over, making them a safer option for heating small spaces in your home.
Safe Holiday Lights
If you’re hanging festive lights or displaying holiday decor on the interior and exterior of your home, use multiple power sources or opt for battery-powered lights. Overloading electrical outlets is a winter fire safety hazard.
Check every wire for fraying or damage that could result in electric shock and replace any damaged strings of lights or decorations for complete winter fire safety. Check the labels to make sure that the lights you’re placing outside are specifically intended for outdoor use.
Water Natural Holiday Trees
Frequently watering your natural holiday tree keeps it fresh for longer and reduces its flammability. Keep the tree on the other side of the room from the fireplace and place space heaters and candles a safe distance from it.
Don’t risk a house fire emergency ruining your holidays. Use precautions to keep your home cozy, festive, and safe.
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