Photo Credit: ByoungJoo (iStock). Did you know that more house fires occur in the winter than any other season? It’s true, according to the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission, nearly 25,000 homes catch fire every single year in the winter. Stay safe and prevent injury by avoiding these 5 winter fire hazards in your home.
1. Don’t Forget To Turn Off The Oven Off
Winter marks a popular season for bakers. Between whipping up all your favorite recipes this year, it’s important to be safe and cautious in the kitchen. According to the Red Cross, the number one cause of house fires is related to cooking incidents. Forgetting to turn off the oven or stove can result in a deadly house fire, especially if your oven is filled with grease spills and food debris. Regardless, you should always turn off the oven before exiting your kitchen. If you’re notorious for forgetting, then you can remind yourself by leaving a note on the refrigerator.
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2. Use Space Heaters Wisely in Your Home
Space heaters are great for keeping your home warm and cozy in the frigid winter season. However, you need to be extra careful when using them. To avoid potential fire hazards keep portable heaters at least 3 feet away from furniture, curtains, and other flammable objects. In addition to positioning your heater in a safe spot, never leave heaters running while you’re away from your home or even sleeping.
3. Maintain Your Fireplace For Safer Use
Fireplace safety and yearly maintenance can help prevent a winter house fire. Before lighting a fire, make sure there’s nothing blocking your chimney like a bird’s nest. This way smoke can properly escape out of the home. If it’s not too chilly outside, you can even crack open a window for better ventilation. For more tips on safely using your fireplace this winter season, click here.
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4. Blow Out Your Candles Before Going To Bed
If you’re going to use real candles during the winter season, make sure they are far away from anything that could possibly catch on fire. Too often, homeowners burn candles carelessly without acknowledging the risk of fire. Reports from the U.S Fire Administration indicate that more than half of home decorating fires in December are started by burning candles. Don’t let this happen to you!
5. Keep Your Christmas Tree Away From Heat
Christmas trees are a huge fire hazard to watch out for in the winter. Prevent fires from happening by keeping your tree well-watered. You also want to avoid placing your tree near any type of heat source, which can easily cause a winter house fire. According to the U.S Fire Administration, being too close to a heat source is the result of 1 in every 4 Christmas trees that catch on fire.
Do your very best to avoid these winter fire hazards. For an added layer of safety, you and your family can create a fire evacuation plan in case of an emergency situation.
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