The winter season is a time that’s usually associated with festive holidays and cozy evenings by the fire. As the calendar year draws to a close, stores are bustling with shoppers and neighbors are putting up holiday light displays. But amid the festivities, there’s a more serious topic that requires attention: more fires occur during the winter than at any other time of the year.
“Half of all home fires happen between December and February,” said Capt. Alex Cooley of the Greenfield Fire Department.
While no one ever wants a home fire, winter presents additional issues to be aware of. Cooley offered a variety of tips to lessen your chances of having to experience the horror of a home fire.
“The first thing anyone can do is having smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that are working,” he said. We’ve often heard to change the batteries of detectors during seasonal transitions, but Cooley suggests you also test your detectors once a month.
He said most detectors now have five- to ten-year batteries. Dates the detectors are good until should usually be printed on them.
“You need to be sure they are functioning and loud. Think about how you are when you are woken out of a sleep,” said Cooley.
The next step is to make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are placed where they will be the most useful. Cooley noted every house is different depending on its age and how up to code the house is, but best practice is having hardwired detectors. Otherwise, he said to have detectors at the tops and bottom of all stairs, bedrooms, outside of bedrooms, and on every level of the home. Most fires happen at night while everyone is asleep Cooley said, which is the reason for related deaths. The National Fire Protection Association states that “Heating equipment is involved in one of every six reported home fires and one in every five home fire deaths.”
Cooley said the Greenfield Fire Department has a grant for a senior safety program that funds the cost of detectors. If you own your home or your landlord is willingly involved, a member of the fire department will also assist with placement and installation.
“This is a state grant we receive and we always use up to the limit every year,” he said.
A simple tip to help keep you and your family safer if there is a house fire is to close your bedroom door at night. Cooley said. “Even a hollow core door gives you 30 more minutes of protection.” Cooley also noted that a big difference between old and new construction is the materials used. Most modern construction makes use of synthetic materials which Cooley described as “basically solidified gasoline,” as they are made from petroleum.
“Take a home with legacy construction and materials versus modern construction and you may have the difference between 20 minutes to escape or three,” he said.
Cooley said you should always have at least two ways to get out of any home and be sure none of those exits are ever blocked. And naturally, call the fire department first thing if a fire event occurs, so it is important to have a charged phone close to your bed he said.
Cooley said the top causes of fires in the home are:
■Candles
■Cooking
■Electrical
■Heating
■Smoking
In terms of any heating device such as a space or kerosene heater, always keep them 3 feet way from anything flammable, he said. “They get so hot the radiation from them can cause nearby materials to combust.”
Cooley said it is important to never overload an electrical circuit, especially with heating appliances.
“Heating elements should never be plugged in with extension cords and they should always be used under supervision,” he said.
It is important to note, especially during a time when many are struggling financially due to the pandemic, to be cautious in judgement with elements that can lead to a fire. It is a common practice to try to heat the home with the oven, or cook on propane camping stoves or on top of a kerosene heater. In a conversation with visiting nurse Sandra Groome, she mentioned she has witnessed people who are struggling financially and with disabilities use these methods of heating and cooking. Cooley said these practices are dangerous.
Cooley said it is also a good idea to make sure your chimney is cleaned annually and by a professional.
“The debris from burning materials builds up inside and heat gets trapped,” he said. Also, ashes should be properly stored in a fire safe container until fully cooled before disposal. “When you store cooling ashes err on the side of caution — outside, at least 10 feet away from any building,” he said. Cooley added that the carbon monoxide from ashes kept in a basement can lead to you “going to sleep and never waking up.”
Generators should also never be run indoors, Cooley said, due to the carbon monoxide they give off.
Lastly, even though changes in insurance over the years has barred many from indoor smoking, there are times a person chooses to smoke indoors.
“Smoking fires are the leading cause of death by fire,” Cooley said. He said besides extinguishing smoking materials in a “deep, sturdy ashtray” to also be sure to keep smoking materials up and out of reach of children.
“Also, if you do smoke outside, don’t toss a cigarette in a potted plant or mulch next to the house. Ideally, they should be extinguished with water or sand.” Cooley included the use of vapes and e-cigarettes in the equation, as they have a tendency to catch on fire and even explode.
These are just a few primary tips to help keep you and your loved ones safer from fires in your home but is not comprehensive. Capt. Cooley and his trained educators welcome questions and can be reached at 413-774-4737.
Cris Carl is an avid local gardener, licensed therapist and certified herbalist. She is an experienced journalist who has written for the Recorder for many years. cstormfox57@gmail.com.