At Window Nation, we love getting people ready for winter. Most of the time it’s focusing on how homeowners can save tons of money on their energy bills with a new window or door installation; but today we’re going to be talking about fire safety.
 
Do you know that winter is the leading time of year for house fires? Of all the things that can befall a family, a house fire is one of the worst. It doesn’t just destroy valuable heirlooms that can never be replaced. It has the potential to take lives as well.
 
Throughout our service area, Jack Frost is starting to nip at noses, and that causes folks to start burning fires in their fireplaces and turn on the space heaters. It is also the time of year when families spend more time inside and more time cooking. Here are some tips for staying safe through the holidays and the rest of the winter, too.
 
Cooking Equipment
 
A lot more cooking happens around the holidays, but do you know that fires caused by cooking are the number one cause of home fires and injuries in the U.S.?
 

  • Keep an eye on what you fry. You would be amazed how fast oil or grease can catch fire. Don’t leave frying food unattended.

  • Keep things that can catch fire away from cooking surfaces.

 Heating Equipment
 
The second leading cause of home fires and home fire deaths in the U.S. is heating equipment, with portable and stationary space heaters and wood stoves making up ⅓ of heating fires.
 

  • Failure to clean equipment can result in a house fire. This is especially the case for creosote buildup in a chimney. Have your chimney inspected every year by a qualified professional.

  • More than half of home heating fire deaths are from flammable objects being too close to heating equipment. Keep things that can burn at least 3 feet from any equipment that gets hot like fireplaces, wood stoves, and portable space heaters.

  • If you have kids, put a 3-foot kid-free zone around heating equipment.

  • Always use the fuel that is specified by the manufacturer when operating space heaters.

  • Turn heaters off when you’re going to bed or leaving the room.

  • Make sure your fireplace has a sturdy screen that stops sparks from flying out into the room, and make sure ashes are cool before putting them into a metal container.

 Holiday Decorations
 
‘Tis the season for candles, dry Christmas trees, and lots of lights.
 

  • Make sure you put candles out if you’re going to be leaving.

  • Keep candles on a safe and sturdy base and out of the reach of children and pets.

  • Don’t keep that tree up too long and be sure to water it.

  • Replace old strings of lights with new ones every so often. If you have a string of lights that has a short put it in the trash.

Be safe this holiday and winter season. Don’t let a house fire catch you by surprise.