More House and Apartment Fires Occur During Winter

Freezing temperatures have swept across Kentucky in recent weeks. The frigid blast of winter weather means that families stay indoors more often than usual, often beside fireplaces or by candles when power outages occur. But more people die in house fires during the winter months than during any other time of the year.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, 905 people die in winter home fires every year. Most blazes occur between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., but also in the early morning hours when people are asleep. That’s why it’s important to refresh your memory about fire safety and how to protect yourself inside your home before tragedy strikes.

Fire Safety Tips

Home fires are often caused by unattended candles, space heaters, wood stoves and fireplaces – all things that people use as alternative sources of heat or during emergencies. Open flames or poorly maintained equipment can lead to residential fires that can injure or kill entire families in minutes.

Many fire safety tips are common sense, but all too often people break the rules. Here’s a rundown of the most important things to do to prevent fires inside the home:

• Check that smoke detectors are in working order and installed in all living and sleeping areas. Test the batteries monthly and replace them annually, or as soon as you are alerted that the batteries are running low.
• Always supervise candles. Don’t place burning candles where foot traffic is heavy in the home, or where kids or pets could easily knock them over.
• Have your chimney checked and cleaned every year by a certified inspector. Built-up creosote is the leading cause of chimney fires.
• Make sure that your furnace is serviced and inspected every 12 months.
• Have a fire escape plan and rehearse it with your family on a routine basis. Determine a safe meeting place where all members of the household should go in the event of a fire.
• Make sure all windows and doors can be opened.
• Anything flammable, such as furniture or bedding, should be kept at least three feet away from a heat source such as a fireplace or heater.
• Space heaters should have an automatic shut-off switch. According to the National Fire Protection Association, portable and stationary space heaters cause one-third of residential house fires and 81 percent of home heating fire fatalities each year. Don’t leave it on when you leave the room, and try to place it on a solid, non-flammable surface such as a tile floor.
• Make sure that fires are completely extinguished before going to bed. Don’t pour cold water on the flames – that can lead to cracks in the liner of the chimney flue. Store cooled ashes in a covered, metal container at least 10 feet from your home or other structure.
• Fireplace screens should not have holes that could allow a spark or rolling log to escape.
• Only use dry, seasoned wood in wood stoves.
• Plug portable heaters directly to the wall outlet, not an extension cord.
• Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
• Make sure all doorways and windows are cleared of snow and ice so that family members can make a safe escape if a fire occurs.
• Teach your children what firefighters look like in uniform. Unfortunately, many young children perish in home fires because they hide from first responders out of fear.

As Kentuckians brace themselves for more frigid temperatures in the coming weeks, the attorneys at The Frank Jenkins Law Office encourage you to use these fire safety tips to ensure that you and your loved ones are safe from harm.