Heating Your Home Safely

January 13, 2010 Destin Fire Control District News

Heating Your Home Safely

Keeping your home and families warm this winter might be easy but lets make sure it is safe as well.

Facts about home heating fires

• From 2008-2010, an average of 50,100 home heating fires occurred in the United States each year and resulted in an annual average of approximately 150 deaths, 575 injuries and $326 million in property loss.
• Heating was the second leading cause of home fires following cooking.
• Home heating fires peaked in the early evening hours between 5 and 9 p.m. with the highest peak between 6 and 8 p.m. This 4-hour period accounted for 30 percent of all home heating fires.
• Home heating fires peaked in January (21 percent) and declined to the lowest point during the summer months from June to August.
• Confined fires, those fires confined to chimneys, flues or fuel burners, accounted for 87 percent of home heating fires.
• Thirty percent of the nonconfined home heating fires occurred because the heat source was too close to things that can burn.

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/heating.html

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