Firefighters Offer Heating Tips

IMPLE PRECAUTIONS CAN PREVENT FIRES

By Bob Caudle, Dan Craft

Posted: December 10, 2009 at 5:09 a.m.

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There’s a fine line between a warming blaze in the fireplace and a whole house going up in flames, fire officials warned Wednesday.

Firefighters in Rogers responded early Wednesday morning to a fire call where the culprit proved to be cord on a space heater — something all too common in the wintertime, fire officials said.

Simple precautions can help keep homes warm safely, fire marshals and fire chiefs said. With nighttime temperatures forecast near or below freezing for the next week, home heating is expected to pick up.

“There are two main causes for winter house fires, heating and cooking,” said Battalion Chief Terry Lawson of the Fayetteville Fire Department. “Be careful with both those things and your risk goes down a lot.”

Chimneys, whether from fireplaces or wood-burning stoves, are a main culprit, but a simple inspection and cleaning can remove dangerous creosote buildup that sparks most chimney fires, he said. Unattended stoves and ovens are the most common cause of cooking fires.

In rural areas, where wood is more common as a primary heat source, inspections and proper fuel are especially important, said Laurie Roy, assistant fire marshal for Washington County.

“We haven’t seen any heating-related fires yet, but we know it’s only a matter of time,” Roy said. “One thing we stress is using dry, seasoned wood, because green wood creates more creosote.”

Burning treated wood also increases creosote, and can also produce toxic fumes, she said. Treated wood shouldn’t be burned under any circumstances, she said.

Creosote buildup can be removed, but it’s a job for trained professionals, she said.

“A do-it-yourself inspection or cleaning probably isn’t going to be very effective,” she said.

Space heaters are involved in 25 percent of home heating fires but account for 74 percent of the deaths, according to the National Fire Protection Association,

“Heaters have built in safety features, but those aren’t going to work for something draped over them,” said Michael Dean, public information officer for the Rogers Fire Department.

Heaters should be at least 3 feet from walls and flammable materials, he said. Extension cords shouldn’t be used, and heaters shouldn’t share plugs with other appliances.

Backup heat sources should also be treated with care, officials said. During last winter’s ice storm, two homes burned after residents mishandled kerosene heaters, Roy said.

“When your primary heat, whether it’s electric, wood or gas, isn’t available, some people turned to kerosene, which can be dangerous if it’s not handled properly,” she said.

Fueling accidents and heaters tipping over are both risks with propane, she said.

Lawson also said several blazes were caused when portable gas-powered generators caught fire, either from fueling accidents or electrical overload, he said. The department also responded to several carbon monoxide calls because of generator exhaust.

“Nobody should ever even consider running a generator indoors,” he said. “It’s a recipe for disaster.”

Over the holidays, decorative lights can short out and spark fires, and live Christmas trees “can burn faster than anybody would believe,” Roy said.

By The Numbers

House Fires

A house fire is reported to a fire department in the United States every one and one half minutes.

Someone dies in a house fire in the United States every two and one half hours.

More than 400,000 house fires claimed almost 3,000 lives in 2008

Eighty-four percent of all fire-related deaths occurred in the home.

House fires resulting from heating material within the home ranks second for the most deaths and property loss. Improperly discarded smoking material is first.

Chimney fires are the No. 1 cause of home heating fires.

Source: National Fire Protection Association

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