Winter Fire Safety: Key Precautions to Avoid Home Fires

Strategic Insights -

As the cold winter months approach, homes become breeding grounds for potential fire hazards, with the three coldest months of the year typically accounting for the largest number of home fires. According to ITT Hartford Insurance Group, nearly 31% of all home fires reported in 1994 occurred during January, February, and December of that year. To mitigate this risk, ITT Hartford advises consumers to take essential fire safety precautions, including maintaining their furnace and oil burners, using space heaters safely, staying properly wired, protecting the family, and decorating safely during the holidays.

Key Takeaways:

  • 31% of all home fires reported to ITT Hartford in 1994 occurred during January, February, and December, which is consistent with the results of 1993 and 1992.
  • The coldest months of the year (January, February, and December) typically account for the largest number of home fires.
  • Consumers should get their furnace and oil burners serviced before turning them on for the winter, and have their flues and chimneys checked if they plan to use a fireplace or wood burning stove.
  • Using space heaters, especially gas and kerosene ones, adjacent to flammable materials like curtains, bedspreads, furniture, and papers is highly hazardous and must be avoided.
  • Never use the kitchen stove or other cooking appliances to heat a room; instead, always use dedicated heaters or heat pumps.
  • Check the wires on portable heaters, radios, lamps, televisions, and other electrical appliances for fraying and wear, and repair or replace them if necessary.
  • Keep matches, lighters, and lit candles out of reach of children, and never leave unattended children in rooms with lit fires.
  • Ensure smoke detectors are functioning properly, and replace batteries when necessary.
  • In case you do have a fire, specify an escape route, communicate it with family members, and designate a safe meeting place outside the home.
  • During the holidays, use UL-tested exterior lights to decorate the exterior of your home, and keep decorative (UL-tested) tree lights away from paper ornaments, flammable materials, and heat sources.

Statistics:

  • 31% of all home fires reported to ITT Hartford in 1994 occurred during January, February, and December.
  • 30% of home fires were reported during the winter months in 1993 and 1992.
  • $5.6 billion in written premiums for 1994 represents the 7th largest property-casualty insurer in the United States.
  • $51.2 billion in assets represents the 11th largest life insurance group in 1994.

Sources:

  • ITT Hartford Insurance Group
  • ITT Hartford; ITT Corp.
  • Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL)
  • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)