It’s a cold winter night. You decide to use a space heater, or perhaps light a fire in the fireplace, to save on the heating
bill. Comfortable from its warmth as bedtime approaches you think, “What harm could it cause to leave it on
overnight?” Think again. While these heating devices may help you feel cozy and warm, they can become extremely
dangerous if not used properly. Home heating equipment was involved in an estimated 62,000 home fires in 2005,
according to the non-profit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The cost of these fires is more than just
property damage. The cost includes roughly 700 lives and roughly 1,500 injuries. Home heating fires are largely
preventable when you know the rules. The Summit Fire Department’s goal is to reduce the number of home-heating
fires in our community. But we need your help. We are urging our Summit Fire community families to use extra caution
this winter when heating your home.
The majority of heating fire deaths are caused by space heaters! Most heating fires are caused by failure to clean
chimneys. To help keep our community safe and warm this season Summit Fire Department recommends that you
follow these guidelines:
Space heaters need space. Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from
heating equipment. Turn portable heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room. Plug power cords only into outlets
with sufficient capacity and never into an extension cord. Inspect for cracked, frayed or broken plugs or loose
connections. Replace before using. Allow ashes to cool before disposing. Dispose of ashes in a metal container.
Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best
protection interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home — when one sounds, they all sound.
Test smoke alarms at least once a month. Install and maintain a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside
each sleeping area. Never use an oven to heat your home.
Have your chimney inspected each year and cleaned if necessary, by a CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America)
Certified Chimney Sweep.
To locate a certified sweep visit www.csia.org or call 1-800-536-0118. With simple precautions, help us meet our goal
of decreasing home-heating fires this winter. We invite your to join us and help keep our community safe and warm.
For more information on heating safety call Summit Fire Department 928-526-9537 or e-mail us at
sfd@summitfiredepartment.org.
bill. Comfortable from its warmth as bedtime approaches you think, “What harm could it cause to leave it on
overnight?” Think again. While these heating devices may help you feel cozy and warm, they can become extremely
dangerous if not used properly. Home heating equipment was involved in an estimated 62,000 home fires in 2005,
according to the non-profit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The cost of these fires is more than just
property damage. The cost includes roughly 700 lives and roughly 1,500 injuries. Home heating fires are largely
preventable when you know the rules. The Summit Fire Department’s goal is to reduce the number of home-heating
fires in our community. But we need your help. We are urging our Summit Fire community families to use extra caution
this winter when heating your home.
The majority of heating fire deaths are caused by space heaters! Most heating fires are caused by failure to clean
chimneys. To help keep our community safe and warm this season Summit Fire Department recommends that you
follow these guidelines:
Space heaters need space. Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from
heating equipment. Turn portable heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room. Plug power cords only into outlets
with sufficient capacity and never into an extension cord. Inspect for cracked, frayed or broken plugs or loose
connections. Replace before using. Allow ashes to cool before disposing. Dispose of ashes in a metal container.
Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best
protection interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home — when one sounds, they all sound.
Test smoke alarms at least once a month. Install and maintain a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside
each sleeping area. Never use an oven to heat your home.
Have your chimney inspected each year and cleaned if necessary, by a CSIA (Chimney Safety Institute of America)
Certified Chimney Sweep.
To locate a certified sweep visit www.csia.org or call 1-800-536-0118. With simple precautions, help us meet our goal
of decreasing home-heating fires this winter. We invite your to join us and help keep our community safe and warm.
For more information on heating safety call Summit Fire Department 928-526-9537 or e-mail us at
sfd@summitfiredepartment.org.
Heating Safety
Summit Fire District
| Fire Departments don't succeed, people do. |
8905 N. Koch Field Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86004, 928-526-9537 Office, 928-526-2750 Fax, sfd@summitfiredepartment.org
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