Fire Chief Offers Fire Prevention Tips in Wake of Holiday Blaze

The following is a message from John Horr, Jr., chief of the Lost Acres Fire Department in Granby:

The recent deaths of two adults and three children in Stamford are a sobering reminder of the daily hazards that exist all around us. We all can help prevent these terrible tragedies by being diligent and careful in how we handle items that produce heat.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), heating equipment accounted for 79 percent of the fire deaths during 2005 – 2009. This equipment includes space and water heaters, furnaces, wood stoves and fireplaces. The primary cause of fires from this equipment is poor cleaning and the heat source being too close to combustibles. In the Stamford fire, ashes removed from a fireplace and placed outside, are believed to be the primary cause of that fire.  Every year, the Lost Acres Fire Department responds to several fires caused by ashes not being disposed of properly.

The Lost Acres Fire Department and the NFPA recommend the following steps to ensure that all heating is done in a safe and effective manner:

• All heaters need space. Keep things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
• Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home and have one inside each bedroom and outside of each sleeping area.  For the best protection, interconnect alarms so that when one sounds, they all sound.
• Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
• Develop a fire escape plan that identifies two ways out of each room and a family meeting place outside.
• Make sure your plan allows for any specific needs in your household.  If everyone knows what to do, everyone can get out quickly.
• Practice using the plan, at least twice a year.  If everyone knows that everyone else is ready to exit quickly, no one will lose precious time trying to help someone who doesn’t need help.
• Some children and adults may not awaken to the sound of the smoke alarm.  They may need help to wake up.
• Use heating equipment that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
• Install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instruction. Have a qualified professional install the equipment.
• Make sure all fuel-burning equipment is vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. CO is created when fuels burn incompletely. CO poisoning can cause illness and even death. Make sure the venting for exhaust is kept clear and unobstructed. This includes removal of snow around the outlet to the outside.
• Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms inside your home to provide early warning of carbon monoxide.
• Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected annually by a qualified professional.
• Ensure any ash removal is done in a fire rated container such as metal ash can. Ashes should be soaked thoroughly with water to ensure complete cooling of all embers. Embers can continue to burn for several days and will ignite unburned material such as leaves or wood if dumped in the open.

With a little care and proper use of heating equipment, CO and smoke detectors and proper planning, we can all help reduce the risk of someone in our family being injured or killed by fire.