LAWRENCE CO. – With the arrival of colder nights, Lawrence County residents are seeking various ways to keep warm, including lighting fireplaces, cranking up furnaces, and using space heaters. However, officials warn of the real risks of fires and carbon monoxide poisoning associated with heating the home during winter.
Scott Smith, Deputy Director of Lawrence County Emergency Management, emphasized the importance of being cautious when using heating methods. “Fires and carbon monoxide poisoning are real risks when heating your home,” Smith stated, urging residents to take necessary precautions.
Furthermore, Smith highlighted the potential dangers of outdoor burning, mainly due to arid conditions.
“It is extremely dry. Make sure to do it safely if you are burning debris,” Smith stressed.
In light of these concerns, the county commissioners have called upon residents to notify Central Dispatch before engaging in any open burning, stressing the need to prioritize safety during heightened fire risks.
As the community prepares for the winter season, residents are reminded to prioritize safety and take necessary steps to prevent heating and outdoor burning accidents.
These tips will help keep your family safe and warm this winter.
Fireplace Safety
Before you light your first fire of the season:
- Have your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleaned annually by a certified chimney specialist.
- Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations, and flammable materials.
- Provide proper venting systems for all heating equipment. Make sure all vent pipes extend at least three feet above the roof.
- If you have a gas fireplace, have a professional service the fireplace before your first fire of the season to ensure it is operating safely.
- Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside and outside of sleeping areas. Test them monthly and change the batteries at least once a year.
- Also, install carbon monoxide detectors to ensure levels are safe within your home.
While enjoying your fire:
- If you have glass fireplace doors, leave them open while burning a fire to ensure complete combustion and keep creosote from building up in the chimney.
- Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces that do not have a glass fireplace door.
- Never use flammable liquids to start a fire, and use only seasoned hardwood. Also, never burn cardboard boxes, trash, charcoal, or debris in your fireplace or woodstove.
- Build small fires that burn completely and produce less smoke.
- When building a fire, place logs at the rear of the fireplace on an adequate supporting grate.
- Keep wood stove air inlets open and never restrict fireplace air supply. Otherwise, you may cause creosote buildup, which could lead to a chimney fire.
Once you finish your fire:
- Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house. If you have them, close the glass doors to keep the chimney air out of the room.
- Soak hot ashes in water and place them in a metal container outside your home.
Furnace Safety
- Be sure all furnace controls and emergency shutoffs are in proper working condition. If something needs repair, call a licensed professional. Do not attempt repairs on your own unless you are qualified.
- Inspect the walls and ceiling near the furnace and along the chimney line. Additional pipe insulation or clearance may be required if the wall is hot or discolored.
- Check the flue pipe and pipe seams to ensure they are well-supported and free of holes and cracks. Soot along or around seams may indicate a leak.
- Keep trash and other combustibles away from the heating system.
Portable Space Heater Safety
Read the Labels
- When buying a heater, look for one tested and labeled by a nationally recognized testing company, such as Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL).
- Purchase a space heater with more modern safety features, such as one that shuts off if it is tipped or turned over.
Location, Location, Location
- Keep the heater three feet away from drapes, furniture, bedding, or other flammable materials.
- Place the heater on a level surface away from areas where someone might bump into it and knock it over. Be careful to keep children and pets away from the heater.
- Try to locate electric space heaters that can be plugged directly into the wall outlet. If you must use an extension cord, make sure it is heavy-duty and marked with a power rating at least as high as that on the heater label.
- Keep electric heaters away from water. Never use them near a sink or in the bathroom. Never leave a space heater unattended or running while you sleep.
- Ensure the room has enough ventilation to help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Liquid Fueled Heater Tips
- Follow the manufacturer’s fueling instructions for liquid-fueled heaters using only the approved fuel. Never use gasoline! Never fill a heater that is still hot. Do not overfill the heater; you must allow for the expansion of the liquid. Only use approved containers marked for the fuel available, and store them outdoors.
- Maintain ventilation when using kerosene heaters. Refuel kerosene heaters outside. Ensure the heater is at least three feet away from flammable objects.
- Ventilated space heaters are professionally inspected every year. If the heater is not vented properly or not vented at all, or if the vent is blocked, separated, rusted, or corroded, dangerous carbon monoxide levels can enter the home, causing sickness and death. Carbon monoxide can also be produced if the heater is not properly set up and adjusted for the type of gas used and the altitude at which it is installed.
Where do I start?
- Get your fireplace ready for the season, including reducing the ability for fire to enter your home.
- FEMA recommends installing spark arrestors on all chimneys, stovepipes, and vents for fuel-burning heaters. Use 12-gauge welded or woven wire mesh screen spark arrestors with openings 1/2 inch across.
- Every year, heating equipment and chimneys are professionally cleaned and inspected.
- Keep any outdoor firewood at least 30 feet away from your home.
- Ensure your roof is free of potential fire fuel (leaves, pine needles), and remove branches above the chimney, flues, or vents.
- Ensure roof-covering assemblies do not have openings that allow firebrands in.
- Make sure eaves that extend beyond exterior walls are built with fire-resistant materials.
- Cover all vent openings with corrosion-resistant, non-combustible, 1/4-inch or smaller wire mesh or screen that prevents firebrands from entering.
- Check up your furnace.
- Follow portable heater safety tips.
- Never heat the house with an oven or oven range.
