A cozy fire or a warm heater is a great way to keep warm when temperatures plummet in winter. Since all of these heating efforts increase winter fire risks in the home, it’s important to aware your family about the dangers of fire during the winter season. The majority of winter fires are caused by human negligence, specifically electrical faults or carelessness. The use of cigarettes, matches, lighters, candles, heating appliances, and open braai fires can all cause fires if not properly managed.
To prevent the loss of lives and property, Quickshipfire has put together a few tips for winter fire safety while keeping you warm this season.
Tips for Winter Fire Safety
1. Clean the Chimney
During the winter, chimney fires are a leading cause of residential structure fires. Your best defense against chimney fires is to have your chimney professionally cleaned so that it won’t spoil your holiday celebrations.
2. Install Carbon Monoxide Alarms
CO alarm will alert you when furnaces aren’t working properly or when the gases from fireplaces are seeping into the house. Since CO is odorless and colorless, a CO alarm is an invaluable safety device.
3. Fix the Furnace
Damaged wiring, cracked heat exchangers, and dirty pilot sensors can result in incomplete combustion of fuel, furnace overheating, or electrical fires. Over the winter months, prevent fires in your home by investing in annual maintenance and performing furnace repairs as soon as possible.
4. Watch Candles Closely
Ensure that lit candles are kept far away from potential fuel sources. This includes curtains, blinds, tablecloths, furniture, and other items that can spread fire. Whenever you use candles, make sure you blow them out before going to sleep or leaving the building. It is never a good idea to leave a lit candle burning at home or at work.
5. Buy Multiple Fire Extinguishers
A home should always have a sufficient quantity of fire extinguishers. Ensure you have multiple ABC extinguishers positioned throughout your home. Specially, Position them on the walls of rooms where fires are most likely to start, such as: Garage, Kitchen, Living room, Furnace room, Bedrooms, Office corridors, Copy machine rooms and Storerooms.
It is crucial because fire extinguishers are designed to put out small fires before they spread. By having multiple fire extinguishers in your home or business, you can respond faster to fires before they engulf your structure.
6. Avoid Space Heaters
The use of space heaters poses a fire hazard that can easily be avoided. You can simply avoid buying one, and throw any if you still have. It’s best to hire a specialist to improve the heating system in your structure if you are having trouble staying warm.
7. Test Smoke Alarms
Ensure that your fire alarm batteries are charged every month and replace any alarm batteries that are beeping. Furthermore, install new smoke alarms to replace old ones. The majority of these products have a serviceable life of about eight years.
8. Toss Out Damaged Lights
It is not recommended to use a strand of lights if its cord is frayed and the lights flicker or fail. The cost of replacing a damaged strand is far less than replacing a lifetime’s worth of memories and possessions.
9. Conduct Fire Drills
Fire drills aren’t just for the workplace or school. Make sure your family knows how to use fire extinguishers and how to evacuate the house safely and quickly in the event of a fire. You should practice fire safety every day, and doing so is a worthwhile investment of your time.
We hope these winter fire safety tips are intended to help you protect your home from fires caused by heating sources such as fireplaces and furnaces.
Quickshipfire is a top fire alarm equipment supplier in USA. It offers all kind of smoke detectors, fire alarm panels, fire alarm modules, power supplies, pull stations and more. You can order fire alarm parts online for your system.
Contact us at (833)747-7845 for more information about the best fire alarm parts we offer including top brands like Siemens, Simplex, Gamewell and more. It is our pleasure to help you keep your home or business safe from fire over the winter months.