Winter & Holiday Safety Tips

Author: Heather Carpenter, Deputy Fire Marshal, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. 

Winter Storm, Portland, OR 2017, Creative Commons

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Winter storms and the holiday season can bring beauty and joy, but they also bring added risks to your home, family, pets, and residents. Heavy winds, freezing temperatures, power outages, flooding, icy roads, and the increased use of heating systems, decorations, and electrical devices can quickly turn dangerous without proper precautions. Preparing ahead of time and practicing both indoor and outdoor safety can help prevent injuries, fires, and costly damage. The following tips cover winter storm readiness, outdoor safety, holiday decoration precautions, and electrical fire prevention to help you stay safe and enjoy a warm, worry-free season.

Winter storms can be dangerous, bringing heavy winds, freezing temperatures, power failures, as well as icy or flooded roads. Prepare yourself and your family for winter storms by following the safety tips below.

Indoor Safety

• Have a professional perform annual inspections of your heating system. If you have a fireplace, have the chimney inspected.
  
• Bring pets and smaller animals inside to keep them warm and dry.
• Keep heating sources at least three feet away from materials that can burn and never leave lit candles or other flames unattended.
• Have a disaster supply kit ready with enough supplies to be self-sufficient for at least three days in case of an emergency.
• Know the shut-off locations for your electricity, natural gas, and water.
• During a power outage, turn off major appliances to reduce power demands when electricity is restored.
• Install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in the home and test them monthly.

Fire safety tips: Keep heating sources at least three feet away from materials that can burn....know the shut-off locations for your electricity, natural gas, and water.

Outdoor Safety

• Minimize outdoor activities whenever possible. If you must venture outdoors, dress appropriately.
  
• Don’t overestimate how far you can walk on extremely cold, rainy, or snowy days.
• Use extreme caution when stepping outside in icy conditions.
• Insulate exposed water pipes with fiberglass or foam to protect from freezing.
• Report power outages to your electric company and never touch a downed power line.
• Provide a sheltered area and access to non-frozen drinking water to livestock or pets that must be outside.

Safety Behind the Wheel

• Avoid traveling when the weather service issues storm advisories.
  
• If you must travel, drive much slower than you would in ideal conditions.
• Have your car inspected to ensure it’s in proper running condition. A breakdown during extreme weather can put you and your passengers in danger.
• Replace worn tires, belts, leaking radiator hoses, and burned-out headlights and taillights.
• Ensure your radiator has appropriate antifreeze for the conditions you will encounter.
• Have an emergency kit in your car.
• Keep your gas tank more than half full.
• Carry the appropriate traction devices when traveling to areas that may require them.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Dschwen, CC BY-SA

Deck the Halls

It’s the holiday season and traditions abound. We want you to enjoy a happy holiday season and avoid a devastating fire by using caution with your decorations. When it comes to brightening your home with twinkling lights, we offer the following safety tips:

• Only use UL-approved, low-heat lights.
• Always use outdoor-rated lights outside and indoor-rated lights inside.
• Only use outdoor-rated extension cords with outside lighting displays [note: per adult foster home regulations, these must be plugged directly into an outlet and cannot be connected to another extension cord].
  
• Never use light sets with broken sockets, frayed and/or cracked wires, or missing sockets. Any of these problems may cause an electrical shock or a fire.
• Prior to using a light set, place it on a non-flammable surface and plug it in for 10 to 15 minutes to check for smoking or melting.
• Lights should only be used on fresh or fire-retardant plastic trees. Never use electric lights on a metal tree as the tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights leading to a shock hazard.
• Fasten outdoor lights securely to exterior walls, trees, or other firm supports to protect them from wind damage. Do not use nails or tacks to hold light strings in place. Instead, use plastic light string holders or run your light strings through hooks.
• Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. 

...home electrical fires account for an estimated 51,000 fires each year, nearly 500 deaths...and are the second leading cause of home fires in the U.S.

Preventing Electrical Fires

Electricity has improved the quality of our lives. It allows for around-the-clock light, temperature control, communications, entertainment, and many other innovations. With this electrical power comes responsibility.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, home electrical fires account for an estimated 51,000 fires each year, nearly 500 deaths, $1.3 billion in property damage, and are the second leading cause of home fires in the U.S.

Consider these electrical hazards you can avoid to keep your home safe:

• Misuse of Extension Cords: Extension cords are a convenient solution for getting power to multiple electrical devices but using them without proper precautions can create a major fire hazard. When using extension cords, minimize the risk of fire by remembering to only choose UL-Listed cords, only use them temporarily, unplug when not in use, never run under carpeting or through walls, do not plug multiple cords together, and never use extension cords to power heating equipment or major appliances. Check cords regularly for excessive heat, damage, or missing ground plugs. Ensure the extension cord is rated to handle the load being plugged into it [note: per adult foster home regulations, extension cords cannot be used in place of permanent wiring and must be plugged directly into an outlet and cannot be connected to another extension cord].
  
• Outdated Wiring: If you have an older home, chances are its electrical system wasn’t designed to cope with the demands of multiple, power-hungry appliances common in today’s modern homes. Signs of potentially hidden electrical problems include flickering lights, electrical devices that feel excessively hot, shocks or sparks from appliances or outlets, unexplained burning smells, circuit breakers that often trip and/or fuses that frequently blow. If one or more of these problems persist, have a qualified electrician inspect the home to ensure it meets safety standards and identify if the home would benefit from arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) protection. These devices recognize potential electrical hazards not detected by standard breakers and can be especially helpful in older homes.

In the case of an electrical fire, if it is small, a multipurpose or Class-C fire extinguisher can be used to extinguish the flame [note: adult foster home regulations require a fire extinguisher with a minimum classification of 2A:10B:C on each floor of the home]. Turn off the electricity either at the breaker or unplug the device if safe to do so. If the fire is too large to extinguish or you feel unsafe, get out immediately, closing the door as you leave and call 911. Do not re-enter the home until the fire has been extinguished by firefighters.

Winter storms and seasonal activities increase the risk of cold-related injuries, power outages, and home fires, but proper preparation can greatly reduce these dangers. By practicing indoor and outdoor safety, using holiday decorations responsibly, and being mindful of electrical hazards, you can protect your home and loved ones. Staying alert, prepared, and cautious will help ensure a safe and enjoyable winter season for everyone.

Author

This article is provided by Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. Visit them online at TVFR.com.