Fire department aims to keep you safe, warm
Jackson, Tenn. – As the temperature outside drops, Jackson, TN families take to the indoors to keep safe and warm. They may not realize that turning up the heat can increase the risk of home heating fires.
According to the latest Home Heating Fires National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), half of home-heating fires occur during winter. An average of 44,210 home heating fires occurred each year between 2016 and 2020, resulting in an estimated 480 civilian deaths, 1,370 civilian injuries, and $1 billion in direct property damage.
During the coldest months of the year, home heating equipment kicks into high gear, so making sure it is in good working order and used properly is critical to reducing the likelihood of fire. By better understanding when and where home heating fires happen, people can take the steps to minimize associated risks and safely heat their homes.
NFPA and The Jackson Fire Department recommend simple home heating safety tips, so residents can help keep our community safe and warm this Fall and Winter.
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like fireplaces, furnaces, portable space heaters, or wood stoves.
- Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
- Never use your oven to heat your home.
- Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters, or central heating equipment according to local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
- Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected annually by a qualified professional.
- Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Plug portable heaters directly into outlets and never into an extension cord or power strip.
- Never run the heater cord (or any cord) under rugs or carpeting.
- Test smoke alarms monthly.
- Practice your home fire escape drill.
