Home Heating Safety
- Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
- Place space heaters on a sturdy surface (not a rug or carpet). Keep three feet away from items that can burn.
- Plug space heater directly in to the wall outlet (don’t use power strips or extension cords). Do not use if the cord or plug is damaged or if the heater is cracked or broken.
- Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Make sure the space heater has an automatic shut off when it is tipped over.
- Refuel you cooled kerosene heating outside only with approved kerosene.
- Make sure your kerosene heater has an automatic shut off when it is tipped over.
- Only use kerosene a heater from a recognized testing laboratory.
- Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
- Do not burn paper in your wood stove or fire place (releases toxic chemicals).
- Make sure your wood stove is three feet away from anything that can burn.
- Put out the fire in stove or fireplace before you go to sleep or leave home.
- Put ashes in a metal container with a lid on it, outside your home at least three feet away from your house.
- Have your furnace inspected by a professional each year.
- Keep burnable items three feet away from your furnace.
More information can be found at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/heating.html
