With colder weather now arriving, house fires become more prevalent. From cozy fires and candlelight dinners to space heaters to warm up a cold garage, tis the season for more risk from fire.
Here are some great tips to remember to help avoid house fires and keep your family safe for the upcoming holidays.
Have a working smoke alarm – depending on the size of your home, multiple alarms may be necessary. Make sure each one is working properly by testing monthly. Also, change the batteries when you hear the short beep alert or yearly, whichever comes first.
Inspect your heating system – change the furnace filter regularly and have your heating system inspected by a professional annually. Also, don’t forget to clean your solid-fueled heating equipment, like fireplaces and chimneys.
Remove lint from your dryer vent – the lint builds up over time, and can easily lead to a dryer fire if not maintained properly. Clean the lint filter after each use and make sure to clean any lint from the dryer that may have made its way through the filter.
Inspect your electrical wiring – Holiday decorating time means more wires. Routine maintenance can help detect hot spots and corrosion. This should be done by a professional at least once a year.
Keep smoking for outside – Smoking materials, including cigarettes, pipes, and cigars, started an estimated annual average of 18,100 reported home structure fires and caused $476 million in direct property damage per year.
