Winter Fire Prevention
Winter is a big season for fires for many reasons. Recently one of our tenants caused a small fire by unattended cooking. Another friend posted a FaceBook photo of a big batch of dryer lint she had collected from her vent. Thankfully, she caught it before it became a problem. One of the major causes of winter fires is simply us trying to stay warm.
Facts about home heating fires
- From 2008-2010, an average of 50,100 heating fires in residential buildings occurred in the United States each year and resulted in an annual average of approximately 150 deaths, 575 injuries and $326 million in property loss.
- Heating was the second leading cause of all residential building fires following cooking.
- Residential building heating fires peaked in the early evening hours between 5 and 9 p.m. with the highest peak between 6 and 8 p.m. This 4-hour period accounted for 30 percent of all residential building heating fires.
- Residential building heating fires peaked in January (21 percent) and declined to the lowest point during the summer months from June to August.
- Confined fires, those fires confined to chimneys, flues or fuel burners, accounted for 87 percent of residential building heating fires.
- Thirty percent of the nonconfined residential building heating fires occurred because the heat source was too close to things that can burn.
Source: Heating Fires in Residential Buildings (2008-2010) PDF 424 KB
Here is some great information to help you prevent a fire in your home:
Stay warm and stay safe!
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