Protect Your House from Fires This Winter

Winter can be incredibly cold and dark. It’s no wonder why so many people try so hard to make their homes as warm and comfortable as possible during this time of year. They brighten up their rooms with flickering candles, and they stave off the cold with space heaters and logs in the fireplace.

All of these habits can make the house warm and cozy during the winter months, but the sad truth is that all of these habits can also put your home at a greater risk of catching fire.

How Can You Protect Your House from Fires?

There are plenty of precautions that you can take to protect your house from different types of fires during the winter months.

Fireplace Blazes:

If you have a working fireplace and you intend to use it this winter, you should have your chimney cleaned as soon as possible. It’s important to clean your chimney at least once per year because the inside can develop an oily build-up called “creosote,” which can cause housefires.

You should also have a screen in front of your fireplace to stop any sparks from jumping out and catching on flammable materials — like your carpet.

Space Heater Fires:

Keep space heaters firmly on the floor and away from any flammable objects. Make sure that you purchase a space heater with an “automatic shutoff” feature in case you forget to turn it off when you leave the room.

Candle Fires:

If you’re going to light a candle, make sure that it’s in a secure candle holder. Keep it away from flammable objects and don’t leave it unsupervised.

Or, you can use electric candles as safe alternatives.

How Can You Protect Yourself from Fires?

When it comes to fire safety, your property shouldn’t be your only priority. You want to make sure that you and your family members can stay safe during a house fire. What can you do to prepare for this kind of disaster?

Have an Evacuation Plan:

Know exactly where your fire exits are and keep them clear so that you can easily make your way to them. Talk to your family members and pick a safe spot to gather once you get out of the house.

If you have an elderly relative or a person with limited mobility living in the house, you should look into getting stair chairs for emergency evacuation as soon as you can. Stair chairs will help you safely transport them down flights of stairs and out of the house during a housefire. You’ll help them get out of danger and reach the meeting spot in a short amount of time.

You can use emergency tools like stair chairs during other types of disasters, including basement floods, storms and power outages.

Change Your Batteries:

Make sure you have fully charged batteries in your smoke detectors. It’s always good to replace them once or twice per year so that the detectors are ready to sound off at the first sign of a fire.

You should do the same with your carbon monoxide detector. You’ll want it to be fully charged and ready to warn you in case you’re in danger of getting carbon monoxide poisoning—another common risk in the winter.

Don’t risk a house fire this winter. Follow these fire safety tips and protect your home.