As temperatures drop across Georgia, fire safety experts are warning families about the dangers of heating their homes this fall and winter.
What’s Happening: The American Red Cross of Georgia is urging residents to take safety steps now before turning on heaters and fireplaces. Space heaters cause most home heating fires.
- Home fires jump 30% during cold months compared to warmer times of year.
- Last year, the Red Cross of Georgia responded to nearly 2,500 home fires and helped more than 10,470 people.
What’s Important: Keep all heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn. Test your smoke alarms monthly. Make sure everyone in your home can escape in under two minutes if a fire starts.
How to Stay Safe: Never leave a space heater on when you leave a room or go to sleep. Place heaters on hard, flat surfaces like tile floors, not on carpets or rugs. Plug them directly into wall outlets, never into extension cords. Keep children and pets away from all heating equipment.
Between the Lines: Never use your oven or stove to heat your home. If you have a fireplace, use a glass or metal screen to keep embers from flying out. Put out all embers before going to bed or leaving your house.
Free Help Available: If you cannot afford smoke alarms or need help installing them, the Red Cross may be able to help. Contact your local Red Cross office. Since 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign has saved 255 lives in Georgia by installing free smoke alarms and teaching fire safety.
The Sources: American Red Cross Georgia Region, National Fire Protection Association, Red Cross Home Fire Campaign data.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
