Get Warm & Stay Safe
Autumn is a wonderful time. The leaves change, the holiday season approaches and the weather turns crisp and cooler. It is also a great time to light up your fireplace to create a warm and cozy feeling in your home.
Unfortunately, fall also brings an increased risk of house fires caused by dysfunctional fireplaces, misuse of space heaters, and even the general increased use of ovens and stoves. In fact, there are more than 350,000 home fires every year in the U.S., causing more than $7 billion in property damage. And the largest single number of these fires occur during the colder months of the year.
Fires, of course, do more than damage homes and destroy personal belongings. They also lead to death and injuries. At Muller helping our clients means more than getting them the right insurance at great prices. It also means helping them avoid problems before they occur. With this in mind, we’ve pulled together some helpful tips that will help you lessen your risk of fire damage and personal injury.
Alarms
Smoke and fire alarms are essential. You need them and they need to be properly placed and checked regularly to make sure they are operating properly. At a minimum, they should be placed outside bedrooms and in kitchens. Multi-story homes should also have at least one alarm on each floor regardless of whether that floor has a kitchen or bedroom. Batteries in these alarms should be replaced every single year without fail.
Stoves & Ovens
Everyone tends to cook inside more as the weather turns cold and the holidays approach. A few simple precautions will help keep you and your family safe. These include:
- Scan your kitchen’s surrounding to make sure flammable objects (paper, dish towels, wooden utensils, etc.) are far away from stoves and ovens.
- Never leave a hot oven, gas burner or electric stove unattended.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in easy reach in the kitchen.
Space Heaters
These heaters can present lots of problems to homes and people, especially children, if they are not used properly. At a minimum:
- Keep heaters at least three feet from any walls and anything that can burn.
- Children and pets must be supervised whenever a nearby space heater is in use.
Fireplaces
These heaters can present lots of problems to homes and people, especially children, if they are not used properly. At a minimum:
- Before you light up for the first time each year, have a professional come in and make sure nothing is blocking the flue.
- Make sure the flue or damper is open before lighting a fire.
- Always have a protective screen in place that prevents sparks or embers from drifting out of the fireplace into a room where something else can catch fire.
- Make sure your fire is completely extinguished before closing the fireplace’s damper.
At Muller, we want you to be warm and safe. Want to learn more? Contact Muller or visit: nj.gov/dca/divisions/dfs/
