Because cold winter months prompt increased heat usage, it’s no surprise that home fires and carbon monoxide poisoning tend to spike during the season.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and United States Fire Administration have issued a home heating safety alert that urges “consumers to play it safe as winter weather blankets the U.S.,” according to a press release.
According to the two agencies, cooking and home heating are “the leading causes of residential building fires during the winter.”
Incidents of carbon monoxide poisoning “associated with consumer products” have been on the rise since 1999, as written in the press release.
To keep you and your family safe, make sure you have smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors installed throughout your home, and that they all have working batteries.
And check our complete list of space heater safety tips. Among the recommendations? Keep space heaters at least three feet away from curtains, bedding and furniture, and make sure your space heater is equipped with a “tip switch” so that it automatically turns off if it’s tipped over.
Photo: Flickr.com/stublag
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