Fire safety is crucial during cold weather

Suffolk is entering one of the most fire-prone times of the year, and fire officials are encouraging residents to be smart about how they use heat.

“Generally, this time of year, we do start seeing a few more heat-related fires,” Deputy Fire Chief Ed Taylor said. “But we don’t have as many as we used to years ago, because the modern equipment shows up and people are more used to it now.”

Even so, Taylor said, families should be careful using space heaters.

“Space heaters, especially, need to be at least three feet away from any combustible materials,” he said. “Any heat appliance should be checked out annually.”

Chimneys, fireplaces and wood stoves should be professionally cleaned if they have not been looked at since last year. In addition, people should burn only dry wood in fireplaces to prevent fires.

People who still have their Christmas trees up should consider taking them down or be extremely careful when placing heat sources near them, Taylor said.

“Live Christmas trees dry out after a couple weeks, and they will burn very rapidly,” Taylor said. “Keep them away from lighted candles.”

Malfunctioning heat sources also can generate carbon monoxide, which cannot be seen, smelled or tasted. Taylor recommended a carbon monoxide detector to alert residents to the deadly gas.

Also, as with all times of the year, residents should stay in the kitchen while cooking, develop a home escape plan and keep their smoke detectors tested, Taylor said.

According to the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, an estimated 108,400 residential building fires occur in the United States each winter, resulting in 945 deaths, 3,825 injuries and $1.7 billion in property loss.

Cooking is the leading cause of residential building fires during the winter, followed by heating.

The department offered these additional tips to prevent winter home fires:

• Check electrical cords often and replace cracked or damaged electrical or extension cords. Do not try to repair them.
• Never use your oven or stovetop to heat your home. They are not designed for this purpose and can be a fire hazard and result in carbon monoxide.
• Avoid using lighted candles. If you must use candles, place them in sturdy candleholders that won’t burn or tip over.
• If you smoke, do so outside and dispose of your cigarette butts properly.
• Do not burn wrapping paper or parts of the Christmas tree in your fireplace.