If you use fireplaces, wood-burning or coal stoves, kerosene heaters, or portable space heaters during the winter, you could be at greater risk of a fire inside your home. Please be sure to follow all directions and never leave a fireplace, stove, or heater unattended when it is in use. Here are some helpful tips on how to be safe when you are heating your home or apartment this winter.

NEVER:

• NEVER use gasoline to start a fire inside.
• NEVER burn charcoal inside or use charcoal to cook inside.
• NEVER use a gas stove as a way to heat your home.
• NEVER close the damper on a fireplace when ashes are hot.
• NEVER refuel a kerosene heater inside.
• NEVER leave a stove or heater unattended while it is in use.
• NEVER take the batteries out of your smoke detector for toys or games.

ALWAYS:

• ALWAYS keep a screen around an open flame.
• ALWAYS keep items that can catch fire easily at least three feet away from a heat source. These items include curtains, towels, furniture, and blankets.
• ALWAYS be sure there is good air flow in your home. Some heat sources can give off Carbon Monoxide, which can be deadly if inhaled.
• ALWAYS follow the product’s instructions.
• ALWAYS have a fire extinguisher and working smoke detectors.