Eighth District Fire Department Warns of Winter Fire Hazards

MANCHESTER – The Manchester Fire Department-Eighth Utilities District wants everyone to start the New Year off safe and suggests following these guidelines this winter.

Test your smoke alarms at the beginning of each month. Change batteries every six months and if the alarm is more than ten years old, replace it. The date of manufacture can be found on the back of the alarm.

Cooking is the main cause of home fires and fire injuries. To assure you are safely cooking first off stand by your pan. If you leave the kitchen, turn the burner off.

Watch what you are cooking. Fires start when the heat is too high. If you see any smoke or the grease starts to boil, turn the burner off.

Turn pot handles toward back of stove.

Always keep a pan lid or baking sheet nearby to use to cover a pan if it catches on fire. Covering the pan will put the fire out.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, half of all home fires occur during December, January and February. Heating is the second leading cause of U.S. home fires, deaths and injuries. Space heaters are the type of equipment most often involved in home heating equipment fires, figuring in two of every five fires.

Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from any heat source such as fireplaces, woodstoves, radiators, or space heaters. Plug only one heat producing appliance into an electrical outlet at a time.

Have a qualified professional clean and inspect your chimney and vents every year. Store cooled ashes in a tightly covered metal container and keep it outside at least 10 feet away from your home or other buildings.

Winter storms can cause dangerous and sometimes life-threatening conditions. Blinding wind-driven snow, extreme cold, icy road conditions, downed trees and power lines can all wreak havoc on our daily schedules.

Portable generators are useful during power outages, however, many homeowners are unaware that the improper use of portable generators can be risky. The most common dangers associated with portable generators are carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, electrical shock or electrocution, and fire hazards.

According to a 2013 report, half of the generator-related deaths happened in the four coldest months of the year, November through February, and portable generators were involved in the majority of carbon monoxide deaths involving engine-driven tools.

Keep portable generators outside, away from windows and as far away as possible from your house.

Often called the invisible killer, carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas created when fuels such as gasoline, wood, coal, propane, etc. do not burn. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of CO. Carbon Monoxide incidents are more common during the winter months, and in residential properties.

Install Carbon Monoxide Alarms on every floor of your home and test them monthly along with your smoke alarms. Should your CO alarm sound, exit your home immediately and call 911.

The Manchester Fire Department-Eighth Utilities District has a free smoke alarm program. For information call 860-643-6209 Ext. 826