Heating Safety Tips for the Cold Months in New Jersey

1/18/2023 (Permalink)

This ceiling is in the process of having fire, smoke and soot damaged removed by SERVPRO of Jackson/Lacey.

Winter has been relatively kind to us this January 2023 but we still have lots more winter ahead of us. In an effort to keep warm and keep costs down, people sometimes resort to using alternate forms of heating, such as fire places and space heaters. 

According to the National Fire Protection Association, heating is the lead cause of home fire deaths during the months of December, January and February. Based on 2016-2020, space heaters were the type of heating equipment responsible for the largest shares of losses in home heating equipment fires, accounting for one-third of the fires, but nearly nine out of ten deaths and four out of five of the injuries in home fires caused by heating equipment. When used as directed and maintained properly, these can be used safely as a source of warmth. Before operating a space heater, make sure it was evaluated by an independent testing laboratory that will be indicated on the box or manual. 

Follow these simple heating safety tips to help prevent a heating related fire in your home:

• Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment, like a furnace, fireplace, woof burning stove or portable space heater. 
• Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional. 
• remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving a room.
• Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for burning space heaters.
• Test smoke alarms monthly.
• Never sleep with a wood burning fire place still burning. 

For more information on space heater safety, please visit the NAPA website for valuable information. 

If you do experience a heating related fire in your Jackson home, please call SERVPRO of Jackson/Lacey for all your emergency cleanup of fire and water damage.