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Heating Season Safety Tips

As the seasons change, the need for heating our homes and businesses is once again upon us.

The Buffalo Fire Department asks for your help in ensuring that we all enjoy a safe and warm heating season by following these simple safety tips:

• Make sure you have working smoke detectors installed as required
• Make sure that you have working carbon monoxide detectors installed as required
• Keep a working fire extinguisher on hand
• Furnaces and other heating sources should be inspected annually by professionals
• Kitchen stoves/ovens should not be used as a source of heat
• Ensure that the area around your heat sources is clean and free of debris and flammable materials
• Never use gas or diesel powered generators in the home or in confined spaces

Additionally, for the more than one-third of Americans that use fireplaces, wood stoves and other heat sources as their primary source of heat:

• Keep fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves, etc., clean by having a certified chimney specialist inspect and clean them annually
• Safely burn fuels - use appropriate fuels - never use accelerants to start the fire
• Never leave fires unattended
• Ensure the safety of children and pets
• Use common sense

For additionally information, visit:

http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/heating/

http://www.csia.org/

http://static.hpba.org/fileadmin/factsheets/product/fs_fireplacesafety.pdf