Jan. 16—PLATTSBURGH — New York State winter projections are cold and bitter with many regions already experiencing record chills and snowfall.

The Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY) reminds residents to follow some essential safety tips when heating their homes this winter.

HOME FIRES UPTICK

Fire departments usually see an uptick in home fires during the winter, with nearly half of all home heating equipment fires occurring during December, January and February. Carbon monoxide (CO) exposure and poisonings also increase during these months.

"There is an increased risk of home fires and carbon monoxide poisoning this time of year as residents use space heaters, portable heating sources, gas furnaces, and fireplaces to heat their homes," FASNY President Edward Tase, Jr. said.

"We encourage New Yorkers to take proper precautions when they heat their homes this season."

Heating equipment is the second leading cause of U.S. home fires and the third leading cause of home fire deaths, according to the National Fire Prevention Association.

Space heaters are the type of equipment most often involved in home heating equipment fires, accounting for more than two of every five fires (44%), as well as the vast majority of deaths and injuries in home fires caused by heating equipment.

Homeowners should keep space heaters a safe distance from combustible materials, such as curtains, bedding, and upholstered furniture.

CLINTON COUNTY

"One of the leading causes for house fires, and we find this in Clinton County in the last few years, is actually space heaters for a couple different reasons," Town of Plattsburgh District 3 Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief R. Scott Ewing, who is Vice President for the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, said.

"Because sometimes they think it's cheaper to plug in a space heater than it is to turn on their oil heaters or whatever. With that being said, space heaters are designed to augment a heat source and not designed to run continuously and try to heat an entire house. That's when we find they've actually had problems."

In general, people need to know space heaters are an auxiliary heat source.

"They need to be plugged into a dedicated outlet and not into power strips," Ewing said.

"A lot of times that we've found where something has occurred or faulted or whatever, you get someone that plugs the power strip into the outlet and they got like five major things running on this power strip and it faults and melts. Make sure that it's in a safe area. It's not in an area that's cluttered with clothing, carpet, whatever that could be bunched up around it. Make sure that the actual heating source itself is free from any clutter, curtains, furniture, etc."

HOME SAFETY TIPS

Ewing recommends residents purchase a UL approved space heater with a qualified testing laboratory.

"Keep it at least three feet from anything that can burn to include people," he said.

"Choose a heater with a thermostat or an overheat protection. Place the heater on a solid or flat service. Keep pets away from the space heater because if they tip it over and it doesn't have a switch that will shut it off and it's on carpet, it will radiate and catch the carpet on fire. Keep it away from children. Plug heater directly into a wall outlet. Never use an extension cord. Space heaters should be turned off and unplugged when not in use or when you go to bed.

Ewing is one of the fire investigators in Clinton County.

"We find a lot of electrical fires are caused from overloaded power strips and extension cords that my grandfather gave me this 30 years ago," he said.

"It's things like that. The same thing with these power strips, get one that's got a circuit breaker on it so if it overloads it shuts itself off instead of melting itself down."

CARBON MONOXIDE

To prevent CO exposure and poisoning, avoid the indoor use of unvented gas-burning appliances, unvented gas or wood-burning stoves, and unvented fireplaces.

"Homeowners should check that all heating equipment is functioning properly and that furnace and dryer vents are clear of ice and other debris," Tase said.

"As we turn up the heat, it is crucial to ensure that there are working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on each floor of the home and outside of sleeping areas. These devices can be the difference between life and death. We want all New Yorkers to be fire-safe this winter and remember— if there is a fire: get out, stay out, and call 911."

Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed legislation to help curb the preventable deaths caused by space heater fires. Legislation (S.7863A/A.9181B) requires that space heaters sold in New York State have a thermostat, automatic shut off, and be certified by a testing and certification body recognized and approved by the United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Email: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com

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