Five Winter Fire Safety Tips You Need to Know

1/6/2021 (Permalink)

Protect your fireplace against stray sparks by shielding it with tempered glass or a good quality fire screen.

Winter is a cold time of year where we try to keep ourselves warm at home or in the office. We rely on various heat sources to stay warm. Nevertheless, we also need to be careful with these heat sources to avoid fire risk. We should be prepared for a fire outbreak resulting from high heat equipment or direct fire usage.

Many homes suffer from fire damage in the Manteca and Modesto area; these home fires could have been prevented by proper planning and safety measures being adhered to. 

Five essential winter fire safety tips

Install Smoke Alarms In Key Areas and Maintain Them Regularly

A smoke alarm should be mounted in high heat areas like the kitchen, living room, and laundry room. Check the batteries and replace them when low.  

Inspect Your Chimney

A chimney can get clogged over time, hindering the exit of smoke, causing the production of creosote, a flammable substance that may lead to a fire outbreak. Have your chimney inspected annually and have it cleared of debris and unclogged regularly.

Dry seasoned wood will give you bright flames with less smoke. Excess smoke could lead to suffocation and is harmful to health.

Protect Your Fireplace With a Screen

Protect your fireplace against stray sparks by shielding it with tempered glass.

Keep pets and children away from a fireplace and avoid disposing of flammable materials in it. Sometimes people may not dispose of various materials properly and find it convenient to dispose of them in the fireplace. Doing so is extremely dangerous as it may cause the fire to get out of hand or even combust, causing a fire outbreak.

Maintain Your Furnace

Maintain your furnace annually by getting a professional to inspect and maintain it. This helps you avoid the unit's wear and tear and potential damage that could lead to problems with the furnace.

Use Candles and Space Heaters with Caution

Remember that candles are considered an exposed flame and can escalate quickly when in contact with a flammable surface or material. Place candles away from flammable surfaces even when in trays. Wind can also blow the candle flame into the path of a nearby combustible material or surface, so make sure the surrounding area is clear.

Place space heaters roughly three feet from each other. Make sure the heater has an automatic off switch so that its internal mechanisms do not overheat.

Remember to blow out candles and turn off space heaters before leaving the room or going to sleep.

Safety first, you need to put your home in order when preparing for winter. 

At any time of the day in Manteca and Modesto, SERVPRO is committed to protecting the people and properties of the community from fire damage. We’re known not only for our reliability and expertise as a professional restoration and cleaning services provider, but people love us for our friendly customer service too.

For help with Fire Damage cleanup and restoration, you can give us a call any time.