The high cost of home heating fuels
and utilities have caused many Americans to search for alternative home heating
sources such as wood burning stoves, space heaters, and fireplaces. Heating is
one of the leading causes of residential fires. Over one-quarter of these fires
result from improper maintenance of equipment, specifically the failure to
clean the equipment.
Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is
another danger when using heating equipment fueled by fossil fuel. It occurs
most often when equipment is not vented properly. CO deaths have been on the
rise since 1999. On average there were 181 unintentional non-fire deaths from
CO poisoning associated with consumer products per year from 2004-2006 compared
to 123 from 1999-2001 (Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission). Carbon
monoxide poisoning is most fatal to adults age 65 or older.
Preventing
Home Heating Fires
In 2003-2006, the leading factor
contributing to home heating fires (28%) and deaths (46%) was heating equipment
too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing,
mattress, or bedding (Source: NFPA). Many heating fires can be prevented by
following basic safety tips when dealing with any heating equipment:
Keep or maintain a 3 foot clearance between all heating
equipment and anything that can burn.
Inspect and maintain heating equipment regularly for
safety.
Be sure to have fixed space heaters installed by a
qualified technician, according to manufacturer�s instructions or applicable
codes. Or, make sure a qualified technician checks to see the unit
has been properly installed.
When buying a new, portable space heater, make sure it
has the label showing it is listed by a recognized testing laboratory,
such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
Space heaters should be turned off every time you leave
the room and before going to bed.
Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything
that can burn - including furniture, blankets, curtains, and paper
products.
Choose space heaters that turn off automatically if
they tip over.
Never use a space heater to dry clothing.
Do not use your oven to heat your home.
Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each
sleeping area, and on every level of the home. For the best
protection, interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. When
one sounds, they all sound.
Test smoke alarms monthly.
Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms to avoid
risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Wood
Burning Stoves and Fireplaces
Use a metal or glass fireplace
screen to keep sparks from hitting nearby carpets or furniture.
Be sure the fireplace or stove is
installed properly. Wood stoves should have adequate clearance (3 feet)
from combustible surfaces and proper floor support and protection.
Wood stoves should be of good quality, solid
construction and design, and should be evaluated by a nationally
recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
The stove should be burned hot twice a day for 15-30
minutes to reduce the amount of creosote buildup.
Have your chimney inspected annually and cleaned if
necessary, especially if it has not been used for some time.
Don�t use excessive amounts of paper to build fires in
fireplaces. It is possible to ignite creosote in the chimney by
overbuilding the fire.
Make sure your fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent
sparks from flying into the room.
Keep flammable materials away from your fireplace
mantel. A spark from the fireplace could easily ignite these
materials.
Before you go to sleep, be sure your fireplace fire is
out. NEVER close your damper with hot ashes in the fireplace.
A closed damper will help the fire to heat up again and will force toxic
carbon monoxide into the house.
If synthetic logs are used, follow the directions on
the package. NEVER break a synthetic log apart to quicken the fire
or use more than one log at a time. They often burn unevenly,
releasing higher levels of carbon monoxide.
Do not use flammable liquids to start or accelerate any
fire.
Never burn charcoal indoors. Burning charcoal can
give off lethal amounts of carbon monoxide.
Allow fireplace and wood stove ashes to cool before
disposing in a metal container.
Kerosene
Heaters
Read and follow the procedure in the owner�s manual
before you attempt to operate or service the unit.
Learn the safety and maintenance procedures necessary
to safely operate the heating unit.
Always use water clear K-1 grade kerosene.
Never use gasoline or any other volatile fuels in the
unit.
Never refuel the heater indoors, when it is hot, or in
use.
Do not fill the fuel tank past the full mark. The
space above the full mark is there to allow expansion of the fuel when it
is operated.
Always provide adequate ventilation for the unit.
Burning kerosene consumes oxygen, and produces carbon monoxide and other
dangerous gases which may cause you to suffocate or have other respiratory
problems.
Check with your local fire department to make sure
kerosene heaters are allowed in your community.
Electric
Heaters
Keep space heaters at least 3 feet
away from anything that can burn - including furniture, blankets, curtains, and
paper products.
Check to ensure the heater has a thermostat control
mechanism.
Choose a heater that will turn off automatically if it
tips over.
Never dry clothes or store objects on stop of the
heater.
Never use extension cords with electric heaters.
Keep anything that may burn at least 3 feet away from
the heater.
Never allow children to play with, or around, the
heater.
Never place anything inside the grill on the front of
the heater.
Carbon
Monoxide Safety
Each year unintentional carbon
monoxide (CO) poisoning claims hundreds of lives and sends several thousands of
people to the emergency room for treatment. At lower levels of exposure,
CO causes mild effects that are often mistaken for the flu. These
symptoms include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea, and
fatigue. The effects of CO exposure can vary greatly from person to
person depending on age, overall health, and the concentration and length of
exposure.
You can protect yourself and your
family by following a few easy steps:
Carbon monoxide is an odorless,
colorless and toxic gas. Because it is impossible to see, taste, or smell the
toxic fumes, CO can kill before you are aware it is in your home.
CO can come from several sources:
gas-fired appliances, charcoal grills, wood-burning furnaces or fireplaces, and
motor vehicles.
Install at least one CO alarm with an audible warning
signal evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as
Underwriters Laboratories (UL), near sleeping areas and outside individual
bedrooms. CO alarms measure levels of the gas over time and are
designed to sound an alarm before an average, healthy adult would
experience symptoms.
Have your heating system, water heater, and any other
gas, oil or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician
every year.
Never use your range or oven to help heat your home and
never use a charcoal grill or hibachi in your home or garage.
Never keep a car running in a garage. Even if the
garage door is open, normal circulation will not provide enough fresh air
to reliably prevent a dangerous buildup of CO.
