Stay safe and warm this winter

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Vance Vansteel
  • Travis Fire Prevention Office
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  It's winter again. The days are shorter, the outside temperature is lower and in some places it's cold, icy and snowy. Winter brings a change in season and a time to think about home-heating safety. Statistics show home-heating equipment causes more than 60,000 home fires and hundreds of deaths each year. By taking a few simple precautions, most heating-related fires can be prevented.

The following safety tips will ensure a safe winter.
Hang this checklist on your refrigerator to remember to stay safe and warm this, and every winter.

Safety tips:
- Keep any approved space heaters at least three feet from heating equipment (furnace, or portable heater).
- Do not ever use your oven to heat your home. Do not use outdoor cooking appliances to heat your home.
- Portable space heaters should be turned off every time you leave the room and before going to bed. The only approved space heater authorized on Travis is the oil-filled radiator style, with the auto tip-over shutoff. Ceramic disk/ open coil space heaters are prohibited on Travis.
- Space heaters are not authorized in dormitory, lodging or TLF facilities.

- Make sure your fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from flying into the room.

- Allow fireplace ashes to cool before disposing in a metal container. Never leave the house or go to bed when fire is still active.

- Have heating equipment and chimneys inspected and cleaned every year.

- Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every
level of the home. Test and clean smoke alarms every month. Change batteries semi- annually.
- Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Test monthly, and change batteries semi-annually.

For answers to any questions, contact the Fire Prevention Office at 424-3683 or 424-4427.