Houston Fire Department
Winter Safety - Keeping Warm Safely
As the temperature drops , the fire department urges citizens to be careful and follow some simple safety tips when using space heaters and other supplemental heating sources. Any shift away from the exclusive use of central heating presents an increased possibility for fire.
Heating devices cause more than 100 fires in the City of Houston each year, resulting in numerous injuries and possible death. Citizens should always keep in mind that: Space Heaters Need Space!
The Houston Fire Department recommends the following safety tips when using supplemental heating sources:
- Make sure you have a working smoke alarm and a working carbon monoxide alarm if you use gas or a fireplace (including a wood-burning fireplace) for your heating.
- Never leave children unattended in a room with a space heater.
- Children may also stick paper or toys in the grates of the space heaters especially gas space heaters.
- Keep all combustible materials, including yourself at least 3 feet from the heater.
- Open face heaters should have a screen.
- Provide ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning*
- Inspect annually by a qualified service technician.
- Do not use these type units without a proper vent pipe. Vent pipes must exhaust to the outside!
- If your flame is not blue, it is not burning properly. It is producing Carbon Monoxide, which can't be seen, smelled or tasted. Turn it off.
- Use flexible metal tubing with threaded ends to connect the heater to the gas valve. There should be a cutoff valve for the heater at the wall. Never use a rubber hose to connect a space heater to the gas valve!
- Use soapy water to check all connections and valves for leaks. NEVER use a match to test for a gas leak!
- Look for the American Gas Association label and follow the manufacturer's recommendations for proper usage.
- Never overload outlets or breakers
- Don't use extension cords for the heater. If the cord is hot to the touch, turn off the heater and unplug it!
- Electric heaters permanently installed in the wall or ceiling should have lint and dust removed regularly.
- Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that can kill you before you are even aware of it.
- Carbon Monoxide can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, disorientation and fatigue, often mistaken for the flu.
- Have a working carbon monoxide alarm if you use gas appliances and/or a fire place (gas and wood-burning).
- When your carbon monoxide alarm sounds, ventilate the house with fresh air by opening windows and doors.
Vented Gas / Fired Heating Appliances Tips - Central heating units, floor furnaces, recessed wall heaters, and vented space heaters.
Electric Heaters Tips
Everyone loves a fire in the fireplace.However, if you heat your home with your fireplace, Just like a space heater, keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from a fireplace, and create a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires. • Clear the area around the fireplaceand chimney. Debris too close to the fireplace could cause a fire. Check the flue for obstructions like bird nests.Trim any overhanging branches or large trees near the chimney, to give a minimum of 10'
please burn safely.
distance from the chimney.
• ALWAYS use a fireplace screen. Use a glass or metal screen in front of your fireplace to prevent sparks igniting nearby carpets or furniture.
• NEVER overload the fireplace with too many logs. Don't use the fireplace as an incinerator, and never burn garbage, Christmas trees, or piles of paper.
• Keep a fire extinguisher on hand.See that the extinguisher is in good working order and that all family members know how to operate it.
• Provide Smoke Detectors.Place smoke detectors throughout the house. Test the smoke detectors and batteries regularly.
• Place logs at the rear of the fireplace when
building a fire, preferably on a grate.
• NEVER leave fire unattended! Be sure the fire is extinguished before you go to bed.
• Have your fireplace inspected and cleaned
annually by a certified chimney sweep. A dirty fireplace can cause chimney fires or contribute to air pollution.
• Choose the right fuel.In general, hardwood firewood (oak, hickory, ash, etc.) burns cleaner than softwood firewood (fir, pine, cedar, etc.). Independent tests have proven that manufactured firelogs burn much cleaner than firewood.
• Use seasoned wood. Wood with a moisture content of less than 20 percent burns much cleaner than green (high moisture content) wood.
• BURN SMART! Good fireplace habits can decrease fuel consumption in the home while maintaining the same level of warmth. Make sure the fire gets enough air to burn properly. Close the damper when the fire is out to keep warm room air inside.
• Minimize creosote buildup. A buildup of
creosote is a main cause of chimney fires.
Creosote is the black tarry or flaky substance formed in chimneys during the wood burning process. While firewood leaves flammable creosote and carbon deposits on chimney wells, tests show firelogs leave significantly less
creosote accumulation than wood.
• Make a fire that fits your fireplace. A fire
that's too large or too hot not only wastes fuel, it can crack your chimney.
• Keep your fireplace in good working condition. If you notice any cracks in the chimney,and any loose mortar or brick, have your chimney repaired. Have the chimney liner inspected for cracking or deterioration.
• Read and follow the label when using firelogs.Use one firelog at a time, starting it with a fireplace at room temperature. Firelogs perform best when burned on a supporting fireplace grate with a maximum of three to four inches of space between support bars.
• Dispose of hot ashes in covered metal containers, placed outside in a non-combustible area (i.e. free from leaves, combustible overhangs, etc.)
• For wood stoves, make sure the stoves are properly installed, away from combustible surfaces, and have the proper floor support and ventilation. NEVER use flammable liquids (such as gasoline) to start or accelerate a fire.
*Carbon Monoxide