Officials urge safety precautions when using supplemental heating sources

Recent fatalities due to home fires has local emergency personnel on the lookout for opportunities to share home fire safety tips during the coldest part of the year.

Denise Miller, 73, of Menlo passed away in a house fire Jan. 7 and Stuart firefighters were called a few days later to a mobile home fire in that community.

Heating, holiday decorations, winter storms and candles all play a part in an increased risk of home fires, said Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Coordinator Jeremy Cooper. December, January and February are peak months for heating-related fires.

“We all heard about the three deaths Jan. 6 in Davenport, and we had one fatality locally Jan. 7 in Menlo. That is four home fire-related deaths in a week. That is a scary trend and hopefully has sparked some concern and awareness for residents to practice safety while trying to stay warm this winter,” Cooper said. “These fires are currently under investigation. I cannot say if they are related to supplemental heating, but it has turned colder recently than it has been.”

One-third of home fires can be attributed to space heaters. Eight out of 10 deaths and seven out of 10 injuries in home fires were because of heating equipment like space heaters or wood stoves.

“I understand it gets cold here in Iowa, and we have especially seen some shifts in extreme cold and winter weather conditions from time to time. In the January blizzard a year ago, Iowa had six fire-related deaths during a 13-day span of snow, bitter cold and windchill.

Following these safety tips will help homeowners navigate the most extreme winter weather:

• Prior to extremely cold weather, turn your furnace up 3-4 degrees from its normal setting. Take programmable thermostats out of scheduled setbacks and set them on a permanent hold. This will help your furnace adjust to the extreme cold weather. Also, make sure all furnace vents are free of blockage.

• If supplemental heat is needed, make sure equipment is a minimum of four feet away from anything that can burn or melt. Turn that equipment off when leaving the room and before falling asleep.

• Boiling water or making soup and stews can help put warm, moist air into the home, which helps to add heat to your home. Monitor these options closely and do not use the oven to heat your home. Ovens should only be used for baking something.

Less than one of every 10 home fires was caused by fireplaces or chimneys, though there are also safety precautions to take with these:

• Have chimneys and heating equipment cleaned and inspected each year by a qualified professional.

• Always use the correct fuel source recommended by the manufacturer.

• Make sure a fireplace has a sturdy screen that prevents sparks from flying into the room.

• Ashes should be cool before putting them into a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.

“Fires happen daily, but we always urge everyone to do things to prevent fires. I also want to encourage everyone to be prepared for a fire. Know that it can happen and be ready for when it does,” Cooper said. “You used to have seven or eight minutes to leave your home after you hear the smoke alarm. Now you have less than two minutes due to the synthetic materials and other things put into homes today. These things help fire spread quickly.”

Cooper said families should always know two ways out of their home in the event of a fire. They should practice that plan so everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency.

“Those are fire safety precautions all homeowners and landlors should be doing in our communities to protect the lives of our residents from home fires,” Cooper explained.