This time of year due to the cold weather we see an increase in frozen pipes and house fires. Local Fire Chief Brent Francis has some tips to help protect your water pipes from freezing as well as some safety notes to avoid a possible house fire when heating your home.
Chief Francis says there will probably be a lot of water pipes that will freeze underneath people’s homes during this cold snap so you need to make sure you close all of the foundation vents around your home to keep the wind from blowing underneath your house.
click to download audioIn addition, he says you need to let water drip from all of your indoor faucets along with opening your cabinet doors to allow the heat to warm your pipes.
click to download audioChief Francis says people also like to burn candles this time of the year when the weather is cold. If you are burning a candle or cooking on the stove, he says to set a timer on your cell phone to remind yourself to blow out your candle or turn off your stove.
click to download audioAs far as heating, if you have a floor furnace Chief Francis says with the wind and cold temperatures it will probably run non-stop and get hotter than normal so you may have some lint that hasn’t burned off yet.
He also says you also need to be mindful that the wind can also cause a draft with a wood-burning stove or fireplace which can create a fire hazard.
click to download audioChief Francis says another fire hazard is Christmas decorations and a tree possibly falling over.
He also recommends not using a space heater to warm your home but if you do, he says you need to be extremely careful.
click to download audioIn addition, Chief Francis says to remember your pets because they can drag a pillow, or blanket or tear up a sack and leave it on top of a floor furnace or a temporary space heater which can cause a fire.
Another thing he says they see a lot of when it gets cold is people using appliances and devices that are not intended to heat a home. Chief Francis says anything that says “outdoor use only” means just that.
click to download audioHe also says you should not use an electric stove to heat your home because something could fall on the stove’s eye and cause a fire.
Chief Francis also highly recommends not burning your Christmas wrappings and boxes in a fireplace or outside in a burn barrel. He says Christmas wrappings are lightweight and can easily cause a fire due to an updraft from the fireplace or a burn barrel.
click to download audioChief Francis says there are a lot of things to take into consideration when avoiding fire hazards this time of year and these are just a few tips to help keep you, your family, and your home safe during the cold winter months.
Chief Francis says there will probably be a lot of water pipes that will freeze underneath people’s homes during this cold snap so you need to make sure you close all of the foundation vents around your home to keep the wind from blowing underneath your house.
click to download audioIn addition, he says you need to let water drip from all of your indoor faucets along with opening your cabinet doors to allow the heat to warm your pipes.
click to download audioChief Francis says people also like to burn candles this time of the year when the weather is cold. If you are burning a candle or cooking on the stove, he says to set a timer on your cell phone to remind yourself to blow out your candle or turn off your stove.
click to download audioAs far as heating, if you have a floor furnace Chief Francis says with the wind and cold temperatures it will probably run non-stop and get hotter than normal so you may have some lint that hasn’t burned off yet.
He also says you also need to be mindful that the wind can also cause a draft with a wood-burning stove or fireplace which can create a fire hazard.
click to download audioChief Francis says another fire hazard is Christmas decorations and a tree possibly falling over.
He also recommends not using a space heater to warm your home but if you do, he says you need to be extremely careful.
click to download audioIn addition, Chief Francis says to remember your pets because they can drag a pillow, or blanket or tear up a sack and leave it on top of a floor furnace or a temporary space heater which can cause a fire.
Another thing he says they see a lot of when it gets cold is people using appliances and devices that are not intended to heat a home. Chief Francis says anything that says “outdoor use only” means just that.
click to download audioHe also says you should not use an electric stove to heat your home because something could fall on the stove’s eye and cause a fire.
Chief Francis also highly recommends not burning your Christmas wrappings and boxes in a fireplace or outside in a burn barrel. He says Christmas wrappings are lightweight and can easily cause a fire due to an updraft from the fireplace or a burn barrel.
click to download audioChief Francis says there are a lot of things to take into consideration when avoiding fire hazards this time of year and these are just a few tips to help keep you, your family, and your home safe during the cold winter months.
