FIRE SAFETY MESSAGES

Smoke Alarms

• Have working smoke alarms installed on every level of your home and in every bedroom, test them monthly and keep them clean and equipped with fresh batteries at all times.

WOOD STOVES, FIREPLACES AND FIREPLACE ASHES

• Hot coals, hidden in a pile of ashes and thus well insulated, can stay hot for up to 4 days! Never empty ashes into a paper or plastic bag, cardboard box, or other similar container.
• To discard of hot ashes: DO allow ashes to cool (4 days) before removing from fire place, moisten the ashes and then place them in a metal container, with a tight fitting lid,outside and well away from the house (at least 20 feet away from the home and combustibles).
• Be sure the stove or fireplace is installed properly by a professional. Wood stoves should have adequate clearance (36") from combustible surfaces, and proper floor support and protection.
• Wood stoves should be UL listed.
• Have the chimney inspected annually and cleaned if necessary, especially if it has not been used for some time.
• Do not use flammable liquids to start or accelerate any fire.
• Keep a glass or metal screen in front of the fireplace opening, to prevent embers or sparks from igniting combustibles outside the fireplace, unwanted material from going in, and help prevent the possibility of burns to occupants.
• Don’t use excessive amounts of paper to build roaring fires in fireplaces. It is possible to ignite creosote in the chimney by overbuilding the fire.
• Never burn charcoal indoors. Burning charcoal can give off lethal amounts of carbon monoxide.
• Keep flammable materials away from your mantel. A spark from the fireplace could easily ignite these materials.
• Before you go to sleep, be sure your fireplace fire is out. NEVER close your damper with hot ashes in the fireplace. A closed damper will help the fire to heat up again and will force toxic carbon monoxide into the house.
• If synthetic logs are used, follow the directions on the package.

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 SPACE HEATERS

• Space heaters need space. Portable space heaters need a three-foot clearance from anything that can burn – including clothing.

• When buying heaters, look for devices that are UL (Underwriters Laboratory) listed with automatic shutoff features that shut the unit off if it is tipped over.

• Never use a fuel burning (kerosene, propane) type of heater in the home because of the deadly carbon monoxide gas those appliances produce.

• Turn them off when you go to bed or leave the room.
• Plug power cords directly into outlets and never into an extension cord.

HEATING SYSTEMS

 Be sure your heating system is in good working condition. Have a licensed representative inspect and service all parts of your furnace and exhaust parts for carbon build-up.

Be sure all furnace controls and emergency shutoffs are in proper working condition.? Leave furnace repairs to qualified specialists. Do not attempt repairs yourself unless you are qualified.

Inspect the walls and ceiling near the furnace and along the chimney line. If the wall is hot or discolored, additional pipe insulation or clearance may be required.

Check the flue pipes and pipe seams. Are they well supported? Free of holes, and cracks? Soot along or around seams may be an indicator of a leak.

Is the chimney solid?? No cracks or loose bricks? All unused flue openings should be sealed with solid masonry.

Keep trash and other combustibles away from the heating system (at least 36 inch clearance all the way around the appliance).

OTHER FIRE SAFETY TIPS  

 Never use a range or an oven as a supplementary heating devise. Not only is it a safety hazard, it can be a source of potentially toxic fumes.

Avoid using electric space heaters in bathrooms, or other areas where they may come in contact with water.

Frozen water pipes? Never try to thaw them with a blow torch or other open flame, (otherwise the pipe could conduct the heat and ignite the wall structure inside the wall space). Use hot water or a UL labeled device such as a hand held dryer for thawing.

If there is a fire hydrant near your home you can assist the fire department by keeping the hydrant clear of snow so in the event it is needed, it can be located.

Be sure every level of your home has a working smoke alarm, and be sure to test and clean it on a monthly basis.

Have a Home Escape Plan in case of fire! Make sure you practice the plan so that everyone in the home knows what to do!

Have a Carbon Monoxide alarm if you have gas/fuel appliances in your home or your garage is attached to your home.

Prevent Fires Caused by Cooking

• Always stay in the kitchen while cooking.

Holiday Safety from the United States Fire Administration (USFA)

Preventing Christmas Tree Fires

• Selecting a Tree for the Holiday
  Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needle should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard.
• Caring for Your Tree
  Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.
• Disposing of Your Tree
  Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or woodburning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a community pick-up service.

Holiday Lights

• Maintain Your Holiday Lights
  Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up. Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory.
• Do Not Overload Electrical Outlets
  Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet. Make sure to periodically check the wires - they should not be warm to the touch.
• Do Not Leave Holiday Lights on Unattended

Holiday Decorations

• Use Only Nonflammable Decorations
  All decorations should be nonflammable or flame-retardant and placed away from heat vents.
• Never Put Wrapping Paper in a Fireplace
  It can result in a very large fire, throwing off dangerous sparks and embers and may result in a chimney fire.
• Artificial Christmas Trees
  If you are using a metallic or artificial tree, make sure it is flame retardant.

Candle Care

• Avoid Using Lit Candles
  If you do use them, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down. Never leave the house with candles burning.
• Never Put Lit Candles on a Tree
  Do not go near a Christmas tree with an open flame - candles, lighters or matches.

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 Grilling Safety Tips

• Do not grill on a balcony in Montgomery County.  Grills are required to be at least 20 feet away from all parts of the building.

• Always stay by the grill when cooking.

County Offers Tips on Keeping Food Safe During Power Outage

According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service, meat, poultry, fish and eggs should be refrigerated at 40° F and frozen food at or below 0° F, which may be difficult with a prolonged power outage.   

• Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. A refrigerator will only keep food safely cold for about four hours if it is unopened.   
• A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.   
• Obtain dry ice or block ice to keep your refrigerator as cold as possible if there is a prolonged power outage. Residents should check with local retailers for ice supplies.   
• Digital, dial or instant-read thermometers and appliance thermometers will help determine if the food is at safe temperatures. The refrigerator temperature should be at 40°F or below; the freezer, 0°or lower.   
• To be sure a particular food is cold enough; take its temperature with a food thermometer.   
• Never taste food to determine its safety!   
• Food may be safely refrozen if the food still contains ice crystal or is at 40°F or below. Evaluate each food item separately. Be sure to discard any items in either the freezer or the refrigerator that have come into contact with raw meat juices.   
• Food such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, soft cheeses, butter and leftover cooked meats, casseroles and pizza should be thrown out if they have been held above 40° F for over two hours.   

For a complete chart and when to save and when to throw out certain foods, please visit the USDA’s food safety website at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/keeping_food_Safe_during_an_emergency/index.asp.