With the cold Fall and Winter weather now very much upon us it’s more important than ever to take a minute and remind yourself and your family of home heating safety tips.

The are many types of home heating systems used to heat residences and each of them can cause fire is not used or maintained properly. A few simple safety precautions and maintenance can often times mean a world of difference when it comes to fire prevention.

If you have baseboard heaters be sure and check them often to make sure that no objects are on top of the heating registers or have fallen down the cracks and into the heating ducts.  Items like curtains, blankets and looks papers are common culprits for being on top of the heating registers.

If you are using a portable heater be sure and check the area around the heater and make sure there is nothing combustible within the intense heat range and that nothing is physically touching the heater.

If you are heating your house with a wood stove or fireplace be sure and always keep the stove door shut or have a firescreen to protect your home from sparks. A fire resistant rug is also a great idea to put in front of the fireplace to prevent unwanted sparks from burning the carpet or damaging other flooring.  If your stove seems to be more smokey than normal be sure and have you chimney inspected for issues. It’s always a good idea to clean your chimney before each heating season as a dirty chimney can cause a dangerous chimney fire.

Lastly, just in case you did not check your smoke detector batteries last Sunday at the start of Daylight Savings time be sure and check them now. Have a safe and wonderful Fall and Winter!

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