While staying warm is important, safety should always come first. Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires during the winter months—but most of these fires are preventable by following a few simple safety tips:
✔ Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heaters, fireplaces, wood stoves, and furnaces
✔ Maintain a 3-foot “kid-free zone” around space heaters and open flames
✔ Never use your oven or stovetop to heat your home
✔ Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed
✔ Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected annually by a qualified professional
✔ Always use the proper fuel specified by the manufacturer
✔ Make sure fireplaces have a sturdy screen and place cooled ashes in a metal container away from the home
✔ Install and maintain smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms and test them monthly
✔ If you smell gas, leave immediately and call 911 or your gas company

❄️ Did you know? Nearly half of all home heating fires occur during December, January, and February. Your safety is our priority. Taking a few extra precautions during this cold stretch can help prevent emergencies and keep your family safe.

🚒 The Connoquenessing Volunteer Fire Company will be ready to respond, no matter the conditions.

📞 In an emergency, always dial 911.

Stay warm, stay safe, and look out for one another.