COLD WEATHER HEATING SAFETY

Heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires in December, January and February. In 1998 two out of every three home heating fires, and three out of every four home heating deaths, were attributed to space heaters.

To be fire safe.....

Space Heaters

• Remember that space heaters need space. Leave at least three feet of clearance between the heater and anything that can burn.
• In Montgomery County, fuel-fired space heaters are only permitted in single-family homes, (houses and townhouses).
• Always turn off a space heater when leaving the room or going to sleep.
• When buying heaters look for devices that automatically turn off the unit if it's tipped over.
• If you're using a kerosene heater, fill it outside, away from flames and other sources. Only fill it when it has cooled completely.
• Fuel-fired space heaters are only permitted in single-family dwellings (houses and townhouses)
  in Montgomery County.

Fireplace

• Have your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleaned each year by a certified chimney specialist. Keep the area around the hearth clear of debris, decorations and flammable material.
• Always use a metal mesh screen with your fireplace. Keep the glass doors open when a fire is burning. Never restrict air supply to fireplaces. Doing so may cause creosote to build up, leading to a chimney fire.
• Never use flammable liquids to start a fire. Never burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in your fireplace or wood stove.
• Never leave a fireplace fire unattended. Put it out before going to bed or leaving the house.
• Fireplace and wood stove ashes retain enough heat to ignite other combustible materials for several days after a fire. DO NOT discard ashes into any combustible container, such as a paper or plastic bag, a cardboard box or a plastic trash can. DO put ashes into a non-combustible metal container with a lid and DO pour water into the container to make sure the ashes are cool.