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Home Heating
Equipment Fire Safety Tips
Springfield Fire Company would like to get
the word out about Home Heater Fire Safety. The NFPA (National Fire Protection
Association) has provided information on Fire Safety Tips before using your heating
equipment and proper usage of all types of heating equipment.
NFPA Fact Sheets
Home Heating
Heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires during the months of December,
January and February, and trails only cooking
equipment in home fires year-round.
Facts & Figures*
In 1998, there were 49,200 heating equipment-related home fires reported to U.S. fire
departments, resulting in 388 deaths, 1,445 injuries and $515 million in property damage.
Two of every three home heating fires in the U.S. in 1998, and three of every four
related deaths, were attributed to space heating equipment.
All types of common space heating equipment are involved in home fires: portable
electric heaters, portable kerosene heaters, wood stoves, fireplaces with inserts and room
gas heaters.
Common causes of space heating home fires are: lack of regular cleaning, leading to
creosote build-up, in wood-burning devices and associated chimneys and connectors; failing
to give space heaters space, by installing or placing them too close to combustibles;
basic flaws in the construction or design of wood burning heating equipment; and fueling
errors involving liquid- or gas-fueled heating equipment.
(*From NFPA's U.S.
Home Heating Fire Patterns and Trends)
Safety Tips:
Space heaters need space. Portable space heaters need a three-foot (one meter) clearance
from anything that can burn and should always be turned off when leaving the room or going
to sleep.
When buying a new unit, make sure it carries the mark of an independent testing lab. Be
sure that a qualified technician installs the unit or checks that the unit has been
installed properly.
Wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, chimney connectors, and all other
solid-fueled heating equipment need to be inspected annually by a professional and cleaned
as often as the inspections indicate.
Use a sturdy fireplace screen to keep sparks from flying into the room.
Portable kerosene heaters must be fueled only in a well-ventilated area, free of flame
and other heat sources, and only when the device has cooled completely. Use only the type
of kerosene specified by the manufacturer for that device, and never use gasoline instead
of kerosene. Also, be sure that portable kerosene heaters are legal for home use in your
state.
When turning a heating device on or off, be careful to follow the manufacturer's
instructions. When buying heaters, look for devices with automatic shutoff features.
Be sure any gas-fueled heating device is installed with proper attention to ventilation,
and never put unvented gas space heaters in bedrooms or bathrooms. Also, LP (liquefied
petroleum) gas heaters with self-contained fuel supplies are prohibited for home use by
NFPA codes.
NFPA Copyright 2002 -
www.nfpa.org
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