9 Winter Fire Safety Tips

Homes and businesses are at most significant risk of fire over the winter months. Damaged Christmas lights, candles, fireplaces, and other hazards can quickly turn the cooler months into a perilous time. When it comes to protecting your home or business from fire over the winter, the following are nine winter fire safety tips the team at Unifour Fire highly recommends our residential and commercial clients follow.

Contact Unifour Fire & Safety at (866) 511-5540 to speak with our team about winter fire safety strategies you can adopt at home and at work.

1. Clean the Chimney

Chimney fires are a leading cause of residential structure fires over the winter. Hiring a professional to clean your chimney in the fall is the best way to ensure that chimney fires don’t spoil your holiday celebrations.

2. Install Carbon Monoxide Alarms

CO alarms will notify you when furnaces aren’t functioning properly or when the fireplace gases are seeping into the home. CO is odorless and colorless; thus, a CO alarm is an invaluable device that will keep your family safe.

3. Fix the Furnace

Damaged wiring, cracked heat exchangers, and dirty pilot sensors can cause incomplete combustion of fuel, furnace overheating, or spark an electrical fire. Investing in annual maintenance and promptly performing furnace repairs will help protect your home from fire over the winter months.

4. Watch Candles Closely

Always ensure that potential fuel sources are kept far away from lit candles. This includes curtains, blinds, tablecloths, furniture, and other items that can cause a fire to spread. When using candles, always make sure that you blow them out before going to sleep or leaving the building. Never leave home or the office with a lit candle burning.

5. Buy a Fire Extinguisher (or 2, or 3, etc.)

You can never have too many fire extinguishers in the home. It’s advisable to have multiple ABC extinguishers positioned throughout your home. In particular, position them on the walls within rooms where fires are most likely to start, including:

• Garage
• Kitchen
• Living room
• Furnace room
• Bedrooms
• Office corridors
• Copy machine rooms
• Storerooms

This is crucial because fire extinguishers are designed to stop small fires before they spread. Positioning multiple fire extinguishers in the home or within your business will expedite your response to a fire before it can engulf the structure in flames.

6. Avoid Space Heaters

Space heaters are a dangerous fire hazard that is easy to avoid. Simply don’t purchase one, and throw out any that you may have. If you are having trouble staying warm, it’s best to hire an HVAC specialist to improve your structure’s heating systems.

7. Test Smoke Alarms

Double-check your batteries every month and replace the batteries in any alarms that are beeping. Further, replace old smoke alarms. Most have a serviceable life of about eight years.

8. Toss Out Damaged Christmas Lights

If the cord is frayed and the lights flicker or fail, don’t use that particular strand of lights. Replacing a damaged strand costs far less than replacing a lifetime of memories and possessions.

9. Conduct Fire Drills

Fire drills aren’t just for the office and school. Make sure your family knows how to use the fire extinguishers and how to safely and quickly evacuate the home if a fire breaks out. Practice makes perfect, and practicing fire safety is time well spent.

Contact Unifour Fire & Safety at (866) 511-5540 for more information about the residential and commercial fire safety services we offer. It is our pleasure to help you keep your home or business safe from fire over the winter months.