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Staying Fire-Safe During the Chilly Winter Season | SERVPRO of Allen
1/16/2024 (Permalink)
Fire safety is a top priority for us at SERVPRO of Allen this winter. Keep your home safe with these helpful tips!
The winter season in the Allen community offers a brief reprieve from the scorching heat of the rest of the year, and it can be really refreshing at times! Chilly nights can be much more cozy with a warm blanket or a softly flickering fire.
However, any time you use a heat source like a fireplace or a space heater to stay warm, your risk of suffering a house fire goes up. SERVPRO of Allen is here to make sure you are staying warm while also staying safe. Read on to learn some fire safety tips for this winter season.
We can all appreciate the warmth and ambiance that a fire can bring, but they can be downright dangerous if your fireplace is not cleaned or prepared properly. If you have a wood-burning fireplace, it is crucial that you clean out ash buildup from previous fires before lighting your own, and give your chimney walls a good scrub every year to remove creosote buildup.
Keep flammable materials off of the mantle and away from the hearth, and check on your smoke detector batteries to make sure they are fresh. If you have an electric or gas fireplace, check the lines before you turn it on. A single loose gas line or fraying electrical cord can be a serious fire hazard.
Space heaters are an easy way to warm up quickly, but they are also dangerous in their own right. Did you know that space heater accidents account for around 1,700 house fires every year?
Set yourself up for success by setting up your space heater carefully. Choose a hard and level surface for the heater, and make sure the cord is laying flat on the ground to avoid creating a tripping hazard.
You should also create a three-foot barrier around your space heater to keep out curious kids and reckless pets. Be sure it is also far away from the wall or anything that could get pushed up against it, like curtains or couch cushions. Get in the habit of turning off your heater whenever you leave the room, especially if you are going to bed.
It is important to do your research if you are in the market for a new space heater as not all of them are created equally. Just because there are ones that are cheaper or claim to be quick-heating, it doesn’t mean they are safe choices for your house.
Make sure the company you choose has passed the necessary safety certifications and they have reliable reviews on their website and on general search engines. Many heaters nowadays have emergency shutoff switches that will turn off the heater on its own after a certain period of use, which can add another layer of protection from accidental fires.
Finally, check the cord that is connected to the heater. It should be made well and be securely connected to the back of the heater. Choose the heater with the longer cord, ideally six feet or more, so you can set it up in a safe location.
We hope you have a safe and toasty warm winter season! Call SERVPRO of Allen if you suffer from any sort of fire damage so we can handle your recovery from start to finish.
A quick fire damage restoration is just a phone call away. Call SERVPRO® for immediate assistance.