This page was exported from Bancroft this Week [ https://www.bancroftthisweek.com ] Export date:Sun Dec 22 4:21:05 2024 / +0000 GMT ___________________________________________________ Title: Cold weather increases the risk of fires --------------------------------------------------- by KRISTENA SCHUTT-MOORE Staff With the chain of snow storms and temperatures droppingpast minus 30 degrees celsius Bancroft This Week reachedout to the Bancroft fire department about fire safety measuresas people find ways to keep warm.“As always we also encourage residents to ensure they keeptheir chimneys clean and free of creosote, dispose of ashessafely by removing them from the home and covering themwith snow to ensure they are fully extinguished,” says deputyfire chief and fire prevention officer Matt Musclow. “Ensureyou have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms andare testing them monthly. Ensure they are keeping exits from their homes free of items and snow to ensure a quick evacu-ation of the home if required in a fire. Plan and practice a home escape plan so everyone in the home knows where to evacuate to in the event of a fire. Know your address so if you have to call 911 they can get to you as quickly as pos-sible. Keep your 911 number clear from snow and debris so it can be found easily by first responders.”In case of emergencies the department suggests that allhomes have two ways out, with the snow cleared from alldriveways and paths. This is important for both the residentsof the home to escape and for emergency services to gain thebest access to the house/building and those who may needtheir help.Another concern with winter weather is power outages.In these circumstances it is often best to use flashlights,have battery operated lighting and fresh batteries on hands. Candles can pose a risk of fires starting. Having enough sup-plies, including food and water that will last over 72 hours, is good to have on hand as in some large emergencies emergen-cy crews may have to attend several calls in the community. Alternative power should also have a close eye kept on them. All generators should be used outdoors and kept awayfrom windows and doors. Do not run a generator in a garage,even with the door open as fumes can still seep into thehouse.Using emergency heat sources can also cause issues. Besure that all heaters have everything moved away from themup to three feet. If there is no one in the room where theheater is located, turn it off. Nearly half of all space heaterfires involve electric space heaters. But that does not meanthat other heaters do not pose their own risks.There are more home fires in winter than in any otherseason. Half of all home heating fires happen in December,January and February. The Bancroft Fire Department asksthat all residents stay cozy and warm this winter season, butalso stay fire smart. --------------------------------------------------- Images: --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Post date: 2022-01-25 17:09:41 Post date GMT: 2022-01-25 22:09:41 Post modified date: 2022-01-25 17:09:51 Post modified date GMT: 2022-01-25 22:09:51 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Export of Post and Page as text file has been powered by [ Universal Post Manager ] plugin from www.gconverters.com