Tips for Staying Warm and Safe as Temperatures Drop
By: Rebecca Jeffrey
Updated: October 7, 2012
When it cools down, homes start heating up.
"We turned it on about noon-ish yesterday, first time all year," Gina Dickey, a homeowner in Fayetteville said.
But there are risks to keeping warm; especially with space heaters.
"You have to keep it away from combustibles, have to be very mindful if you're using it in a garage where gasoline and other flammable liquids may be stored. So much like everything else we do in the fire business, it boils down to common sense," City of Rogers Fire Chief Tom Jenkins said.
Common sense aside, mistakes happen.
Firefighters say they get a lot of calls this time of year from folks forgetting to open the flue in their fire places.
"A lot of the associated danger with a fire place isn't where you see the fire, it's in the chimney, it's in the flue. Have that cleaned, have it inspected by somebody who does that for a living."
If you turned your heater on last night and smelled something odd, it's nothing to worry about.
"Most of the time that's the smell of the heating filament actually cooking off and sometimes you'll get dust and other just debris on that when it's not being used through the warmer months," Jenkins said.
Firefighters say central units are the safest for heating and the only kind that should be left on when you're away.
"Certainly a central heating unit is by far the preferred method to heat a home," Jenkins said.
"Once winter really gets here, then we'll just turn it on and leave it on," Dickey said.
Uncommon warming methods however, pose a threat.
"When we're using stoves to heat or using unconventional ways of burning any type of fuel in the home, those are not safe. Not just from a fire stand point, but also from a carbon monoxide stand point." Jenkins said.
Firefighters work to prevent fires as much as fight them. They're here to help you stay warm and safe during these cooler months.
"We want to prevent stuff and so you don't just have to call us when something's going wrong, we're more than happy to come out there and take a look if you have some questions about how to do something safely," Jenkins said.
Carbon monoxide is also a big issue when it cools down outside. The only way to know the deadly gas is in your house is with a detector. Firefighters will check and install fire and carbon monoxide detectors for free. Here's a list of non-emergency numbers to call if you have any questions or concerns:
Fayetteville: (479) 575-8365
Springdale: (479) 751-4510
Rogers: (479) 621-1179
Bentonville: (479) 271-3151
"We turned it on about noon-ish yesterday, first time all year," Gina Dickey, a homeowner in Fayetteville said.
But there are risks to keeping warm; especially with space heaters.
"You have to keep it away from combustibles, have to be very mindful if you're using it in a garage where gasoline and other flammable liquids may be stored. So much like everything else we do in the fire business, it boils down to common sense," City of Rogers Fire Chief Tom Jenkins said.
Common sense aside, mistakes happen.
Firefighters say they get a lot of calls this time of year from folks forgetting to open the flue in their fire places.
"A lot of the associated danger with a fire place isn't where you see the fire, it's in the chimney, it's in the flue. Have that cleaned, have it inspected by somebody who does that for a living."
If you turned your heater on last night and smelled something odd, it's nothing to worry about.
"Most of the time that's the smell of the heating filament actually cooking off and sometimes you'll get dust and other just debris on that when it's not being used through the warmer months," Jenkins said.
Firefighters say central units are the safest for heating and the only kind that should be left on when you're away.
"Certainly a central heating unit is by far the preferred method to heat a home," Jenkins said.
"Once winter really gets here, then we'll just turn it on and leave it on," Dickey said.
Uncommon warming methods however, pose a threat.
"When we're using stoves to heat or using unconventional ways of burning any type of fuel in the home, those are not safe. Not just from a fire stand point, but also from a carbon monoxide stand point." Jenkins said.
Firefighters work to prevent fires as much as fight them. They're here to help you stay warm and safe during these cooler months.
"We want to prevent stuff and so you don't just have to call us when something's going wrong, we're more than happy to come out there and take a look if you have some questions about how to do something safely," Jenkins said.
Carbon monoxide is also a big issue when it cools down outside. The only way to know the deadly gas is in your house is with a detector. Firefighters will check and install fire and carbon monoxide detectors for free. Here's a list of non-emergency numbers to call if you have any questions or concerns:
Fayetteville: (479) 575-8365
Springdale: (479) 751-4510
Rogers: (479) 621-1179
Bentonville: (479) 271-3151
