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Protect
Yourself from Home Heating Hazards with Red Cross Safety Tips
GASTONIA,
Nov. 17, 2004 -- Here's what you can do to prepare for such an emergency.
With
a dramatic rise in apartment and house fires during the cold weather months,
the American Red Cross urges families to stay safe in their efforts to
stay warm.
Home
heating hazards are typically to blame. According to the National Fire
Protection Association, four out of seven home fires occur during the
coldest months of December, January and February, and about half of these
fires are caused by using candles and overloading electrical circuits.
With temperatures dropping early this year, many families are turning
to alternative heating sources out of necessity or to avoid the rising
cost of oil and gas.
The
Red Cross encourages families to take the following precautions:
--Be
aware of overuse of electrical outlets
Don't overload your electrical outlets. Be careful of extension cords
that present hazardous walkways.
--Be cautious with portable space heaters
Place space heaters at least three feet away from anything combustible,
including wallpaper, bedding, clothing, pets, and people. Never leave
space heaters operating when you are not in the room or when you go to
bed. Don't leave children or pets unattended with space heaters, and be
sure everyone knows that drying wet mittens or other clothing over space
heaters is a fire hazard.
--Be careful with candles
Do not use candles for lighting if the power goes out. Use flashlights
only. Keep candles away from combustible materials. Don't leave children
unattended in a room with lit candles. Keep candles, matches and lighters
out of the reach of children. Never display lighted candles in windows
or near exits.
--Inspect fireplaces and wood stoves
Have your chimney connections and flues inspected by a professional
and cleaned if necessary prior to the start of every heating season. Use
a sturdy screen when burning fires. Burn only wood - never burn paper
or pine boughs. Do not hang holiday decorations from or on your fireplace
if you plan to use it as a heat source.
--Check smoke detectors
Make sure detectors are working properly and that new batteries are
installed.
--Use generators carefully
If you have a portable generator and the power goes out, always plan to
keep the generator outdoors-never operate it inside, including the basement
or garage. Do not hook up a generator directly to your home's wiring.
The safest thing to do is to connect the equipment you want to power directly
to the outlets on the generator. Connecting a cord from the generator
to a point on the permanent wiring system and backfeeding power to your
home is an unsafe method to supply a building with power.
--Create a disaster supplies kit
Get together lifesaving items in both your home and vehicle. Go to
www.redcross.org
for a list of materials.
--Use clothes and blankets to build layers against the cold
Have extra blankets, scarves, hats and sweaters on hand, and ensure
that each member of your household is ready with a warm coat, gloves or
mittens, hat, and water-resistant boots when you go outside.
For
more valuable information on preparing for cold weather, contact the Gaston
County Chapter of the American Red Cross at 704-864-2623.
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