Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires during the months of December, January and February, and trails only cooking equipment in home fires year-round.
Install your stationary (fixed) space heater according to manufacturer’s instructions or applicable codes or better yet, have it installed by a professional.- Plug your electric-powered space heater into an outlet with sufficient capacity and never into an extension cord.
- Keep portable heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn.
- Turn off space heaters when you are not in the room.
Don’t forget your fireplace and chimney when doing a safety check.
- Make sure your fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from flying into the room. Allow fireplace and woodstove ashes to cool before disposing in a metal container, which is kept a safe distance from your home.
- Have your chimney cleaned and inspected annually BEFORE the cold weather hits.
