At 6:00 as the weather gets cooler,
the threat of your home Catching Fire rises.
Last year there were more than a 300,000 house fires
that killed nearly 3000 people.
WSV Joseph Leonard spoke to the Burton Fire District and
he is joining us now to explain how to keep
you and your family safe.
With the cold weather approaching,
many of us look forward to making sure our homes
are warm and cozy.
But before you plug up that space heater,
firefighters say you want to make sure you're being careful.
Cold weather equals more fires.
Firefighters say it's the most dangerous time for house fires
in the country,
and the Burton Fire District says a big reason why
is space heaters.
Before you plug yours into the wall,
make sure it's at least three feet away from clothing.
Curtains also, another thing that we do see around this
time of year,
we see a higher use of candles,
decorative candles. We want to ensure that if we have
a candle setting on a table,
that we have at least a foot from the distance
of whatever is on that table.
So firefighters say you shouldn't plug your space heater into
extension cords.
And if you use extension cords for decorations,
make sure you're using the right voltage.
But before you do anything,
go around your house and make sure your smoke alarms
are working.
Check them once a month.
Push the button until it beeps.
Change your clocks. Change your batteries.
Now they've actually come out with alarms that have a
10 year fixed battery in them,
so once they're up, they're good for 10 years and
all you have to do is just the general maintenance
on them,
making sure that they're clean.
According to the National Fire Protection Agency,
nearly half of home fires are thanks to cooking.
Many people around here this Thanksgiving will deep fry their
turkeys.
If you do so, make sure that you're careful.
You'll want to be outside in at least 50 feet
away from your home.
Never fry a frozen Turkey.
Let it thaw several days beforehand.
Put it in your refrigerator and give it time to
thaw out.
Make sure that you pre fill your pot,
maybe like some water just to kind of check out
the Make sure your oil levels right.
A lot of people put too much oil in there
and when they drop the Turkey down in there,
the oil starts spilling over the sides.
And that's where you get your your oil catching on
fire.
The Burton Fire District says if you're elderly or need
help checking your smoke alarms,
give them a call. They'll come to you to make
sure your home is safe.
Joseph Leonard, WSAV News 3 on your Side.