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Berkeley,
California (Tuesday, November 27, 2007) – Heating
equipment is the second leading cause of home fires, according to
the National Fire Protection Association. In an average year,
heating equipment is involved in 59,000 home structure fires,
resulting in 330 deaths, 1,250 injuries, and $540 million in direct
property damage. The Berkeley Fire Department advises you to protect
yourself, your family and your home by following these heater safety
tips:
Heater
Safety
- Place
space heaters at least 3’away from anything combustible,
including wallpaper, bedding and clothing. Never leave space
heaters operating when you leave a room or go to bed. Be sure
everyone knows that drying wet clothes on space heaters is a
fire danger.
- Never
use kerosene heaters or charcoal grills indoors.
- Never
use your gas stove or oven for home heating. In addition to
being a fire hazard, this can create toxic fumes.
- Make
sure your space heaters have “tip switches,” which
automatically turn off if the heaters tip over.
-
Make
sure wood stoves are properly installed, have adequate
ventilation, and are at least 3’ away from combustibles.
-
Use
a glass or metal screen in front of your fireplace to prevent
sparks from igniting carpets, furniture, or other combustibles.
-
Be
sure that fireplace ashes are completely cold before removing
them from your fireplace. Store them in a metal container away
from combustibles for at least three days before putting them in
the garbage.
-
Check
with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District for
restrictions on wood-burning. http://www.baaqmd.gov/pio/wood_burning/
Floor
furnaces
Floor furnaces can be extremely dangerous. Nothing should be placed
or stored on top of a heater, including furniture. Never use heaters
to dry clothing or other combustibles. Be sure that all combustibles
are kept away from the heating grate. Teach children to stay away
from radiators and heaters, and not to play with or drop anything
into them.
For
more information, please contact Berkeley’s Fire Prevention
Division via Email
or telephone at 981-5585.
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