Ahhh, fires CAN be so delightful. Just make sure to abide by these fire safety rules:
*If you use fireplaces or wood burning stoves, burn only well-seasoned wood. Don’t burn trash, newspapers, cardboard boxes, building lumber, engineered woods, pressed boards, wrapping paper, plywood, Christmas trees or similar items; they burn unevenly, may contain toxins and increase the risk of uncontrolled fires.
*Keep young children away from working wood stoves and fireplaces to avoid burn injuries. *Never leave a fireplace unattended, especially while you are sleeping.
*Make sure wood stoves are properly vented.
*Have a fire extinguisher readily available and know how to properly use it. If the fire is bigger than you are, however, it’s probably too big to put out with an extinguisher.
*Never use an oven or range — gas or electric — to heat your home. The flame can overheat and ignite nearby materials.
*Turn off space heaters before leaving a room or going to sleep. Supervise children and pets at all times when a portable space heater is on.
*Keep all flammable objects at least 3 feet from space heaters.
*Stock up on batteries, flashlights, portable radios, canned foods, manual can openers, bottled water and blankets.
*Use flashlights for emergency lighting rather than candles.
*Residents who lose power at home or who need extra heat should never use charcoal barbecues, propane heaters, unvented gas heaters or gasoline-powered machinery such as generators, indoors or in garages or carports. It is also not safe to use these devices too close to windows or air intakes. Doing so may release carbon monoxide, an odorless, invisible gas that can kill a person within minutes.
For more information about carbon monoxide poisoning and prevention, go to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Web site at www.cdc.gov/co/faqs.htm.
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