EC DOH: Family Health

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Individual & Family Wellness

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Holiday Home Heating Safety

December, January, and February are the leading months for house fires, and space heaters and other heating devices are often responsible. Heating appliances, including portable space heaters, can ignite furniture and other combustibles left too close to the heater. You can greatly increase your chances of staying safe and warm this winter by taking the following precautions:

Make sure to install smoke alarms and a carbon monoxide alarm on every level of your home and near your bedrooms. Test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Consider installing the new long life smoke alarms.
Make sure you and your family is aware of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. They are fatigue, dizziness, nausea, headache, and shortness of breath.
If possible, have fire extinguishers on each level of your home and make sure your family is aware of them and how to use them.
Provide proper venting systems for all heating equipment.
Extend all vent pipes at least three feet above the roof.
Have your furnace or heating system checked and cleaned each year.
If you use a kerosene heater:
- Never use gasoline, which can cause a fire or explosion
- Use only water-clear 1-K grade kerosene
- Never refuel the heater inside your home when it is hot or being used
- Do not fill the tank above the "full" mark
- To reduce the risk of carbon monoxide buildup, make sure there is sufficient airflow. Keep a door open to the rest of the house or keep a window slightly open.
If you heat your home with a wood stove or a fireplace:
- Have the chimney connection and flue checked and cleaned each year by a certified chimney specialist
- Make sure the stove is placed on an approved stove board to protect your floor from heat
- Keep the area around the hearth clear of debris, decorations and flammable materials
- Always use a sturdy metal mesh screen with fireplaces.
- Leave glass doors open while burning a fire
- Install stovepipe thermometers to help monitor flue temperatures
- Keep air inlets on wood stoves open, and never restrict air supply to fireplaces. Restricting air supply may cause creosote buildup that could lead to a chimney fire
- Build a fire with the logs set in the back of the fireplace on an adequate supporting grate
- Use only seasoned hardwood. Soft, moist wood accelerates creosote buildup
- Use fire-resistant materials on walls around wood stoves and place the stove on an approved stove board to protect your floor from heat.
- Burn only untreated wood. Never burn paper, pine branches, burn cardboard boxes, trash or debris in your fireplace or wood stove: pieces can float out of the chimney and ignite your roof or your neighbor's as well as nearby trees.
- Never use flammable liquids to start a fire
- Burn smaller fires that will burn completely and produce less smoke
- Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving home. NEVER LEAVE A FIRE UNATTENDED
- Soak hot ashes in water and place them in a metal container outside your home
- Stack firewood outdoors at least 30 feet away from your home
- Keep the roof clear of leaves, pine needles and other debris
- Cover the chimney with a mesh screen spark arrester
- Remove branches hanging above the chimney, flues or vents.
NEVER use gas appliances such as a stove, ovens, or clothes dryer to heat your home.

Information courtesy of the U. S. Fire Administration and the Erie County Department of Health

Family Health

Individual & Family Wellness

Holiday Home Heating Safety

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