Home heating fires are largely preventable when you know the rules. Kearney Volunteer Fire Department’s goal is to keep the number of home-heating fires in our community at a minimum, but we need your help. We are urging Kearney families to use extra caution this winter when heating your home. To help keep our community safe and warm this season, Kearney Volunteer Fire Department recommends that you follow these guidelines:
• Have your central heating equipment inspected before it really gets cold.
• Space heaters need space. Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
• Turn portable heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.
• Plug power cords only into outlets with sufficient capacity and never into an extension cord.
• Inspect for cracked, frayed, or broken plugs or loose connections. Replace before using.
• Have your chimney inspected each year and cleaned if necessary.
• Use a sturdy fireplace screen.
• Allow ashes to cool in a metal container before disposing in trash containers.
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home. For the best protection, interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home — when one sounds, they all sound. Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
• Install and maintain a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside each sleeping area.
• Never use an oven to heat your home.
With simple precautions, help us meet our goal of preventing home-heating fires this winter.