Put a Freeze on Winter Fires

Home fires are most common in the winter, when folks are using heat sources to stay warm. As you stay cozy and warm this winter, be smart about fire safety.
 
If you’re using a portable heater:
- Use a heater that has an automatic shutoff so if it tips over, it turns off.
- Keep anything that can burn, such as bedding, clothing and curtains, at least 3 feet from the heater.
- Plug portable heaters directly into wall outlets. Never use an extension cord or power strip.
-  Turn heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.
 
If you’re using a fireplace:
- Keep a glass or metal screen in front of the fireplace to prevent embers or sparks from jumping out and starting a fire.
- Do not burn paper in your fireplace.
- Before you go to sleep or leave your home, put the fire out completely.
- Put ashes in a metal container with a lid. Store the container outside at least 10 feet from your home.
 
If you’re using a wood stove:
- Have your chimney inspected and cleaned each year by a professional.
- Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from the stove.
- Don’t burn paper in your wood stove.
- Before you go to sleep or leave your home, put the fire out completely.
 
When heating your home, be aware of carbon monoxide. It’s called the invisible killer because it’s a colorless, odorless and poisonous gas. More than 400 people in the U.S. die every year from accidental CO poisoning from generators or fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, stoves, water heaters and fireplaces.
Put CO alarms inside your home to provide an early warning of increasing CO levels. These alarms should be placed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home.
As always, make sure you have a smoke alarm on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.