Chief Steve Yetman
21 Center St.
Burlington, MA 01803
For Immediate Release
Monday, Dec. 11, 2017
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 781-791-7627
Email: john@jgpr.net
Burlington Fire Department Provides Home Heating Safety Tips
BURLINGTON – As the cold weather moves in, Chief Steven Yetman and the Burlington Fire Department are reminding residents of several home heating tips to ensure that residents are safely staying warm this winter.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, heating equipment is the leading cause of home fire deaths and half of home heating equipment fires are reported during the months of December, January and February.
The NFPA recommends the following tips to prevent most heat-related fires from happening:
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
- Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
- Never use your oven to heat your home.
- Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
- Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
- Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
- Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room.
- Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
- Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
If you have questions or concerns about safely heating your home, please contact the Burlington Fire Department at 781-270-1925.
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