Keeping warm in winter, especially when we live in the midwest, is important. Keeping warm also comes with hazards, such as fire. Below are some safety tips to help protect your loved ones and your home.
1. Have your furnace checked. It's worth the money to have a professional to inspect and service your furnace once a year. If it's going to conk out, it's better to know trouble is coming.
2. Have your chimneys and vents checked. Fireplaces produce creosote which can ignite. If you light fires frequently, you need a chimney sweep service once a year. When you burn wood, make sure that it is dry and seasoned so that it produces more flame and not smoke.
3. Test smoke alarms. Make sure batteries are fresh. Place smoke alarms in the kitchen laundry room, and bedrooms.
4. Cover the fireplace with a screen. Tempered glass or a metal screen helps protect sparks from leaving the fireplace. Even so, make sure that children and pets sit at least 3 feet away when you light a fire in the fireplace.
5. Beware of lit candles. Candles can set the mood for relaxation, and that's how they get forgotten or knocked over by kids or pets. Light candles only when you are around to watch them and blow them out when you are ready to leave the room. And if you are going to smoke, do it outside.
6. Beware of space heaters. The name should give you a clue, space heaters need space. Like fireplaces, children and pets should not sit closer than 3 feet. Don't put space heaters near curtains, tablecloths or other fluttering fabrics. Make sure the space heaters that you buy have automatic shut offs before reaching dangerous temperatures.
7. Practice an escape route. Businesses have fire drills, your family should, too. Teach your family to crawl to the nearest exit from every room. Show them how to drop and roll if their clothes ever catch on fire.
8. Fire extinguishers can be life savers. Store one under the kitchen sink, and in the hall closet near the bedrooms. Make sure you use the correct setting, A for paper, wood and trash. B for grease and flammable liquids. C for small electrical fires.
9. All household members should know 911. In a fire everyone can be a hero if they know what to do.