American Red Cross urges home heating safety as the risk for winter fire remains high

(File Photo of the American Red Cross Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania is now urging Pennsylvanians to take steps to heat their homes safely as the winter weather continues to affect those in the state. The American Red Cross responded to nearly 6,000 home fires in December alone, which provided assistance to over 23,000 people nationwide. Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteers responded to more than 260 home fires in December in Pennsylvania, assisting over 1,100 people. According to a release yesterday from the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania, here are some tips that you can take to prevent fires during winter:

PREVENTING HOME FIRES 

Every second counts when there’s a home fire. Stay safe by taking two simple steps. First, test your smoke alarms each month and then practice your escape plan until everyone can get out in less than two minutes. Space heaters are most often responsible for home heating fires. Follow these tips on how to safely heat your home:

  • If you must use a space heater, never leave it unattended. Place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface, such as a ceramic tile floor. Don’t place it on rugs and carpets, or near bedding and drapes.
  • Plug space heater power cords directly into outlets — never into an extension cord. Turn the space heater off every time you leave the room or go to bed.
  • Keep children, pets and anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment.
  • Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
  • Never leave a fire burning in the fireplace unattended. Make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home. Use a glass or metal fire screen to keep embers in the fireplace.
  • Have furnaces, chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves inspected annually by a professional and cleaned if necessary.
  • Learn more about how your family can prevent home fires, escape from a home fire in two minutes, and recover after a home fire by clicking here.