Fire Safety Tips Cold-Weather Fire Safety

The American Red Cross has advice that can help keep you and your family safe during the unpredictable winter season.

• Keep your car’s gas tank full for emergency use and to keep the fuel line from freezing.
• Put together a separate disaster supplies kit for the trunk of each car used by members of your household. You should also bring a thermos of warm broth if you are on the road during a winter storm. If you should become stranded during a winter storm, these items will make you more comfortable until the storm passes. The kit should include the following:

• Several blankets or sleeping bags.
• Rain gear and extra sets of dry clothing, mittens, socks, and a wool cap.
• Extra newspapers for insulation.
• Plastic bags for sanitation.
• Canned fruit, nuts, and high energy “munchies.” Non-electric can opener if necessary.
• Several bottles of water. Eating snow will lower your body tempera­ture. If necessary, melt it first.
• Cans of broth or soup.
• A small shovel, a pocket knife, and small tools, such as pliers, a wrench, and screwdriver.
• A small sack of sand for generating traction under wheels, a set of tire chains or traction mats.
• Jumper cables.
• A first aid kit and necessary medications.
• A flashlight with extra batteries.
• A candle in a metal can or other fireproof container. While candles are generally not recommended in disaster situations, having one in your car can be a source of heat and light if you are stranded.
• Matches.
• Cards, games, and puzzles.
• A brightly colored cloth to tie to the antenna.

• Stay with your car. Do not try to walk to safety.
• Tie a brightly colored cloth (preferably red) to the antenna for rescuers to see.
• Start the car and use the heater for about 10 minutes every hour. Keep the exhaust pipe clear so fumes won't back up in the car.
• Leave the overhead light on when the engine is running so that you can be seen.
• As you sit, keep moving your arms and legs to keep blood circulating and to stay warm.
• Keep one window away from the blowing wind slightly open to let in air.

Heating Safety 
Heating the home is one of the leading causes of home fires. Take these precautions to cut your risk of starting a fire in the home.

• First, never use your stove or oven to heat your home.
• Never leave alternative heaters unattended—turn off space heaters or extinguish the fireplace before going to bed or leaving home.
• Keep all flammable materials and potential fuel sources—including but not limited to newspapers, matches, bedding, clothing, carpets and rugs—at least three feet away from heat sources such as space heaters, fireplaces and stoves.

Place your space heater on a hard, level, nonflammable surface. Do not put space heaters on rugs or carpets, near bedding or drapes, and keep children and pets away. Look for a space heater model that shuts off automatically if the heater falls over.

Keep the fire in your fireplace by using a glass or metal screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs. Never leave fireplaces unattended. Be sure to have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys and furnaces professionally inspected once a year.

Power Outages
Winter storms often bring power outages along with them. Follow these tips to weather outages safely.

• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. First use perishable food from the refrigerator. An unopened refrigerator will keep foods cold for about four hours.
• Then use food from the freezer. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.
• Use your non-perishable foods and staples after using food from the refrigerator and freezer. If it looks like the power outage will continue beyond a day, prepare a cooler with ice for your freezer items.
• Keep food in a dry, cool spot and keep it covered at all times.

• Turn off and unplug all unnecessary electrical equipment, including sensitive electronics. Turn off or disconnect any appliances (like stoves), equipment or electronics you were using when the power went out.
• When power comes back on, surges or spikes can damage equipment. Leave one light turned on so you’ll know when the power comes back on.
• Eliminate unnecessary travel, especially by car. Traffic lights will be out and roads will be congested.

• When using a portable generator, connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator. Do not connect a portable generator to a home’s electrical system.
• If you are considering getting a generator, get advice from a professional, such as an electrician. Make sure that the generator you purchase is rated for the power that you think you will need.

Be Prepared
Install smoke alarms on every floor of your home. Check them once a month by pressing the test button, and replace batteries as necessary.

Make sure both your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working properly, and practice your home fire escape plan so every member of your family, including young children and elderly, can get out quickly and safely. Your escape plan should include at least two routes out for every room in the home, and a meeting place outside your home.