It's Cold Outside. Stay Safe.

Heating Safety Tips to Help Keep NJ Families Safe

February 12, 2016

Temperatures are going to go way down over much of the eastern half of the country through the weekend and home heating systems will be running hard in those areas. The American Red Cross asks everyone to use caution when heating their homes, especially with supplemental heating sources.

Because heating one’s home through the winter can be expensive, almost half of the families in the United States use alternate heating sources such as space heaters, fireplaces, or coal or wood stoves to stay warm. These supplemental heating sources can be dangerous if not used properly. The Red Cross urges everyone to use caution when using alternate heat sources to heat their home and offers the following safety tips on how to prevent fires:

Keep all potential sources of fuel like paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs at least three feet away from space heaters, stoves, or fireplaces.

Portable heaters and fireplaces should never be left unattended. Turn off space heaters and make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home.

If you must use a space heater, place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.

When buying a space heater, look for models that shut off automatically if the heater falls over as another safety measure.

Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.

Keep fire in your fireplace by using a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.

Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and furnaces professionally inspected and cleaned once a year.

LIFE-SAVING STEPS Planning for fire emergencies is important. Make sure all household members know two ways to escape from every room of your home, and set up a meeting place outside in case of fire. Practice escaping from your home at least twice a year and at different times of the day. Teach household members to stop, drop and roll if their clothing should catch on fire.

Smoke alarms save lives. You should:

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.

Check monthly that smoke alarms are working properly by pushing the test button.

Replace batteries in smoke alarms at least once a year.

Replace smoke alarms every ten years.

Visit the safety information on our web site for more information, including how to prevent frozen water pipes, the proper use of generators and more.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.