{"id":1275,"date":"2019-01-03T19:16:28","date_gmt":"2019-01-03T19:16:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/?p=1275"},"modified":"2023-11-07T16:03:29","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T16:03:29","slug":"winter-fire-prevention-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/winter-fire-prevention-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter Fire Prevention Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As the winter temperatures set in, we want to make sure your home and family are prepared for the colder weather. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usfa.fema.gov\/prevention\/outreach\/winter.html\">U.S. Fire Administration<\/a>, winter home fires account for an average of 890 deaths and $2 billion in property losses every year. Heating-related fires are the second leading cause of home fires, followed only by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/13\/holiday-fire-safety-guide\/\">cooking fires<\/a>. Keep your family and home safe this year by following these important steps.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><em>Fireplace Safety<\/em><\/p>\n<p>While a fireplace can be a great way to stay warm during the colder winter months, they can post definite threats if not properly maintained. Here are a few tips to keep in mind this winter:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Have your chimney cleaned and inspected annually by a licensed and insured professional. Built up debris within the walls of your fireplace can increase your risk of a home fire.<\/li>\n<li>Always use a screen in front of your fireplace. This can prevent sparks or embers from catching items in your home.<\/li>\n<li>Be mindful of items placed near your fireplace. Avoid placing flammable things, like upholstered furniture or rugs, within 10 feet of your fireplace.<\/li>\n<li>Never leave your fireplace lit if it will be unattended. Fires should also only be lit for short durations. Avoid leaving them lit for long periods of time or overnight.<\/li>\n<li>If you have children or pets in your home, make sure to keep a close eye on them whenever your fireplace is lit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Portable Space Heater Safety<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Do you use a portable heater for a little extra warmth during the winter? While these devices are often convenient, they can also easily spark a fire if not used properly.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Only use devices with anti-tip technology. This way, if your space heater is knocked over, it will turn off.<\/li>\n<li>Before turning on your space heater, inspect it for any cracked wiring or broken plugs. If it is damaged in any way, do not use it.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure your space heater is on even flooring and away from any flammable items.<\/li>\n<li>Always plug your space heater directly into the wall \u2014 never plug them into an extension cord or power strip. These devices require a lot of energy, and can quickly overload a circuit, causing a fire.<\/li>\n<li>Never leave your space heater on if it is unattended. Turn it off before leaving the room or going to bed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>General Safety Tips<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Here are a few general tips to keep in mind as you heat your home this winter.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Never use your gas stove or oven to heat your home.<\/li>\n<li>Have your furnace inspected annually by a licensed and insured HVAC professional.<\/li>\n<li>Test all smoke and CO detectors once a month.<\/li>\n<li>Create and regularly practice a fire evacuation plan with all members of your family.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We hope these tips help you have a safer winter. If you have more questions about protecting your home and family, we work with over 500 independent agents who are ready to help. Visit our website to find a local agent near you: <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/QuincyFindAgent\">bit.ly\/QuincyFindAgent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the winter temperatures set in, we want to make sure your home and family are prepared for the colder [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1289,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[31,24,430],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>Winter Fire Prevention Tips - Quincy Mutual Group<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quincymutual.com\/blog\/winter-fire-prevention-tips\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Winter Fire Prevention Tips - 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