Precautions and planning can help prevent winter fires

Dec. 3—Winter is the most dangerous time for fires, as people begin using furnaces, fireplaces and space heaters for warmth, and start spending most of their time indoors.

"The most deadly time for residential fires is between November and March," said Steve Leonard, Owensboro Fire Department battalion chief, on Friday.

In particular, the most fire deaths occur between December and February.

To help prevent fires, people should be prepared, by maintaining heat sources, making sure smoke alarms are working and having a family escape plan in case of a fire, Leonard said.

"So much of it can be prevented by planning and prevention," Leonard said.

Gas and electric furnaces need annual maintenance by a professional, along with regular filter changes, Leonard said. Maintenance will also improve the chances your furnace will keep working when you really need it.

"We are going to have two to three weeks in January when the temperature is going to drop to zero, and that is when your furnace is going to be taxed" and most likely to fail, Leonard said.

People using gas heat need a carbon monoxide detector on each floor of their homes, Leonard said.

Fire places, stoves and other heat sources should also be inspected, Leonard said. Chimneys, for example, can develop cracks, or have a buildup of creosote, a substance from burning unseasoned wood that can cause chimney fires.

Space heaters are good for temporary relief from the chill, but have to be used with caution, and sparingly, Leonard said.

"Never go to bed with a space heater, and never leave home with a space heater on," he said.

Space heaters are supposed to be only for short-term use, and not as a full-time heating source, Leonard said.

With space heaters, a common danger is "it gets placed too close to combustibles," Leonard said.

Items like paper, curtains and furniture can catch fire if a space heater is placed nearby.

Combustibles also need to be kept away from fireplaces, wood-burning stoves and other heaters.

Christmas trees, both real and artificial, can be a fire hazard, because of the plethora of electric lights. Holiday lights should be inspected before use. If there's any sign of wear, the best move is just to replace them with new lights, Leonard said.

"If it's not working properly, holiday lights are so reasonable" to replace, Leonard said. "Don't take the chance."

All holiday lights, interior and exterior, should be turned off before when homeowners are sleep or away from the house. "You want to be awake and aware" when lights are in use, Leonard said.

A real Christmas tree needs to be watered daily to keep it from drying out. When purchasing a real tree, one that sheds its needles easily is dry and shouldn't be purchased, Leonard said.

About an inch should be cut off the bottom of the tree trunk so the tree can absorb water. Any Christmas tree should be kept at least three feet away from a fireplace, and should not be placed near a heating vent or other heat source.

Smoke detectors should be placed in every room of a house except for the kitchen and bathroom, where cooking or steam could create frequent false alarms. Leonard said the way to stay safe while cooking is to stay in the kitchen while cooking on a stove, and to stay in the house while baking.

"We have a lot of cooking-related fires each year, and the number one cause is unattended cooking," Leonard said.

Smoke alarms should be tested regularly, and batteries need replacement. The general rule is to replace batteries in the fall and spring.

"Having a smoke detector will save your life," Leonard said. "As long as I have been doing this, I have never been to a house fire that had working smoke detectors and a fatality."

When a smoke alarm goes off, people need to know how to respond. Leonard said family members need to know their escape plan, such as how to open and get out of a window if a main exit is blocked. Very young children, under age 7, will need an adult responsible for getting them out of the house, Leonard said.

In case of fire, have a designated meeting place, and practice the plan, Leonard said. If guests are visiting, familiarize them with the plan, including the sound of the smoke alarms and how to open a window to escape, Leonard said.