Your Home
Is your home prepared for winter? Many people forget to take care of things outside and inside the home before winter gets into full swing.
The checklist below provides some basic guidance on what to have in your house/apartment during the winter should you be trapped by the snow or lose electricity. This is not an exhaustive list.
Food and water are vital necessities during a winter storm; however, these foods should be safe to consume should power be lost. Use the checklist below to help stock your shelves.
**If permissible, a generator is a valuable asset to power key household appliances. Carefully follow all directions provided with the generator!**
Heating
The high cost of heating fuels and utilities have caused many Americans to search for alternative methods of home heating. Wood burning stoves are growing in popularity and space heaters are selling rapidly, or coming out of storage. Fireplaces are burning wood and man-made logs. All these methods of heating may be acceptable — but without caution, they’re a major contributing factor in residential fires.
Cooking
Families and guests tend to gather in the kitchen, but it can be the most hazardous room in the house if you don’t practice safe cooking behavior. Careless use of cooking equipment, usually a range or stovetop, is the leading cause of home fires and home-fire injuries in the United States. ALWAYS have someone watching the stove!
Holiday Fire Safety
Holiday decorating goes a long way to help brighten up our wintery days and long nights. Unfortunately, decorations become a significant hazard if not used carefully. An estimated 250 home fires involving Christmas trees and another 170 involving holiday lights and other decorative lighting occur each year across the U.S. By following a few simple safety tips on electric lights, candles and Christmas trees, you can avoid creating a tragedy. Learn how to prevent a fire or what to do in case of a fire in your home.
Fire Safety Resources from the State Fire Marshal
For more information about home fire safety, smoke alarms visit the State Fire Marshal website.
