ARKANSAS, USA — Despite potential record high temperatures this Christmas, it is important to remember, colder weather means higher fire danger at home.
Winter is officially here until March 20, 2022, and that means we will likely see cooler temperatures than we will see this weekend. As the mercury drops in our thermometers, people find ways to keep their homes warm.
Unfortunately, some of those ways can spell disaster.
Heating your home with alternate heat sources such as ovens and stovetops can be catalysts to sparking a fire in your home. Space heaters are great ways to heat smaller areas, but you need to be sure they have a clearance of at least three feet from any combustible material such as furniture or curtains.
Properly heating your home is crucial to keeping you and your loved ones comfortable during colder months, but also having working smoke alarms is a step to keeping you safe.
"Three out of five fatality fires in the United States are from people not having smoke alarms or smoke alarms that don't work," said Fort Smith Fire Marshal Ethan Millard.
Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom, common spaces and on all floors of the home for proper coverage. In addition, alarms should be tested monthly and batteries replaced at least once a year.
Millard says a majority of house fires crews respond to are accidental and result from some sort of electrical issue.
"If you have some concerns about the electrical system in the house, hire a licensed electrician to look at your system," Millard said. "They can give you some tips or do some repairs to update that electrical system to make it safer."
No matter the state of your home, practicing the "Three P's of Fire Safety" is another step to reducing your risk of a fire but also reducing the chances of being caught off-guard.
"Having a plan, practicing that plan, and ensuring everyone is on the same sheet of music, that way, God forbid a fire does happen, you'll be prepared to deal with it," Millard said.
If you do find yourself in a fire, be sure to leave material possessions behind and focus on getting yourself and your loved ones out of the home. Having fire insurance is an easy way to help replace some of those possessions in a time of crisis.
Always feel for warm doors and handles and stay below any smoke to navigate out of the home on pre-planned escape routes. Best practices are to plan for multiple ways out and make it a family activity to conduct at-home fire drills.
Fire safety is simple enough, but if you ever have questions, don't be afraid to seek out your local fire department to ask for help. They are trained to not only fight fires but are trained on fire safety as well.