Winter and Holiday Safety

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Winter and Holiday Safety

• By
• Williston Fire Department

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Importance Of Fire Safety

• Fire kills more Americans than all natural
  disasters combined. Annually 4,000 people will
  lose their lives to fire.
• Approximately 25,000 people will be injured by
  fire this year.
• Each year during Dec 24th, 25th, and 26th there
  will be an estimated 12,000 fires.

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A Clean Furnace

• Faulty Heating systems cause 40 percent of all
  home fires during the winter months
• A qualified individual should inspect your
  furnace, water heater, fuel lines, and gas
  pressure regulator every year.
• DO NOT try to service your furnace if you are
  not qualified to do so.

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A Clean Furnace

• Furnace filters should be changed once a year or
  more if you have animals whose hair may become
  stuck in the filter.
• When there is debris in your furnace, it is blown
  all around your home when your furnace runs.
  Then, you breathe this dirt and debris in.
• A dirty furnace is one of the top reasons for
  furnace fires.

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Clean Your Furnace

• Remember to clean the area around your furnace,
  as well, because combustibles stored around the
  furnace are a huge fire hazard.

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Clean Your Chimney

• Before and after each heating season, you should
  clean your chimney.

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Clean Your chimney

• When cleaning your chimney, you should look for
  crumbling bricks, loose mortar, obstructions and
  creosote.
• If you burn wood, you may need to clean your
  chimney more often depending on the type of wood
  being burned.

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Clean your chimney

• Always burn only well seasoned, hard wood. This
  will reduce the amount of creosote in your
  chimney.

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Keeping Your Vent Pipes Clear

• A heating system has a vent to get rid of the
  poisonous air that is made during combustion.
  When blocked, the hazardous gas may enter your
  home.
• Some individual vents may be located only
  approximately 1-2 ft off the ground.
• During a Vermont winter, a vent located so close
  to the ground will often become blocked with snow.

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Keep Your Vent Pipes Clear

• When the pipes are blocked, the harmful gases are
  unable to escape and are forced back into the
  house.

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Space Heaters

• Used improperly, a space heater is the most
  dangerous appliance in your house
• Dont leave a space heater running when you leave
  the room.
• Keep space heaters at least 3 feet from anything
  that might burn.

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Space Heaters

• Do not use extension cords with Space heaters as
  the high electrical current that is needed could
  melt the cord.
• Do not use a stove as a method of heat, it is
  unvented which is dangerous to your health.

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Holiday Safety

• Each Year during the holiday season, fires injure
  2,600 individuals.

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Holiday Safety

• According to the USFA, Christmas trees will cause
  an estimated 200 fires this year alone resulting
  in 6 deaths, 25 injuries and 6 million dollars in
  damages.
• When selecting a Christmas tree, be sure to pick
  a fresh tree. To determine freshness, the needles
  should be green and hard to pull back from the
  branches.
• Be careful not to place your tree near a heat
  source, as it will dry out the tree more quickly
  increasing the chance for fire.

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Holiday Safety

• The tree should be given water frequently to help
  keep the tree fresh.
• A Christmas tree should not be left up for more
  than 2 weeks.
• Do not discard your tree by placing it in the
  stove or fireplace. You can dispose of your tree
  at the CSWD for free as long as tinsel and lights
  have been removed.

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Williston Fire Department

• If you have any questions, feel free to contact
  the Williston Fire Department at 878-5622 or
  visit us at 645 Talcott Rd Williston, VT.