Winter Fire Safety

11/29/2021 (Permalink)

Keep yourself and your homes safe this winter season with these winter fire safety tips courtesy of your local SERVPRO.

Winter is here and for West Virginia that means snowy tree branches and white mountain landscapes. The kids are excited to make snow angels and decorate the Christmas Tree and you are busy holiday shopping- all the things that make Winter one of the best times of year. We all know that with cold and snowy days comes the breaking out of our space heaters and firewood and with this comes an obvious fire hazard. Here is everything you need to know about Winter Fire Safety:

• Keep things that could catch fire at least three feet away from any space heaters or fireplaces
• Teach kids to stay at least three feet away from any open fires and space heaters
• Test your smoke alarms monthly
• Always turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or house and when going to bed
• Ensure you have a sturdy screen in front of your fireplace to keep sparks and embers from flying out of the fireplace and catching something on fire
• Never use an oven or stovetop to heat your home

More specifically, here are some fire safety tips for your Christmas Tree, since this is a leading cause of house fires during the holiday season:

• Pick a tree that has fresh, green needles
• Place the tree at least three feet away from any heat source
• Add water to the tree stand daily
• Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed
• Get rid of the tree when it starts becoming dry

Have a safe winter and a joyous holiday season everyone! If your home or business is affected by fire damage from a space heater or dried out Christmas tree, give us a call.