Space Heaters Cause Fatal Fires…

Space heaters involved in 79 percent of fatal home heating fires

NFPA urges caution as peak time for heating fires continues

While only 32 percent of home heating fires involve space heaters, they are involved in 79 percent of home heating fire deaths, according to the new report Home Fires Involving Heating Equipment released, February 11, 2010, by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Heating equipment continues to be the second leading cause of home fires behind cooking and the second leading cause of home fire deaths behind smoking.

NFPA is urging caution and asking the public to practice safe heating behaviors as the peak time for home heating fires continues; half of all home heating fires occurred in December, January and February in 2003-2007.

“Half of fatal home space heater fires started because something was too close to the heater and ignited. Keep heaters and things that can burn at least three feet apart,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of communications. “Heating fires and the deaths they cause can usually be prevented with awareness and a few simple actions.”

The leading factor contributing to space heater fires in general was heating equipment too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattress, or bedding. Other leading factors contributing to home space heater fires were failure to clean, which is principally related to creosote build-up in chimneys, and leaving an operating space heater unattended.

“Whether your chimney supports a wood or coal stove or just a fireplace, be sure to have it cleaned and inspected at least once a year to reduce your risk of having a fire,” added Carli. “And always turn off a portable space heater when you go to sleep or leave the room.”

In 2007, U.S. fire departments responded to 66,400 home structure fires that involved heating equipment. These fires killed 580 people, injured another 1,850, and were responsible for $608 million in direct property damage.

NFPA offers the following safety tips.

Heating

* Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.

* Supervise children when a fireplace, fire pit, or other space heater is being used. Use a sturdy, metal screen to prevent contact burns, which are even more common than flame burns.

*All heaters need space. Keep things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.

* Use heating equipment that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.

* Never use your oven for heating.

* Install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment, according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.

- Have a qualified professional install the equipment.
- Make sure all fuel-burning vented equipment is vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. CO is created when fuels burn incompletely. CO poisoning can cause illness and even death. Make sure the venting for exhaust is kept clear and unobstructed. This includes removal of snow and ice around the outlet to the outside.

* Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms to avoid risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

* Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected annually by a qualified professional.

Portable electric space heaters

* Turn heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.

* Use and purchase portable space heaters with an automatic shut off so if they’re tipped over they will shut off.

* Place space heater on solid, flat surface.

* Plug power cords directly into outlets and never into an extension cord.

* Inspect for cracked or damaged, broken plugs or loose connections. Replace before using.

Fuel burning space heaters

* Always use the proper fuel as specified by the manufacturer.

* When refueling, allow the appliance to cool and refuel outside or in a well-ventilated area.

* When using the heater, open a window to ensure proper ventilation.

* In portable kerosene or other liquid-fueled space heaters, always use the proper grade of the proper fuel.

* All new unvented gas-fired space heaters have an oxygen depletion sensor that detects a reduced level of oxygen in the area where the heater is operating and shuts off the heater before a hazardous level of carbon monoxide accumulates. If you have an older heater without this feature, replace it.

* If the pilot light of your gas heater goes out, allow 5 minutes or more for the gas to go away before trying again, do not allow gas to accumulate, and light the match before you turn on the gas to the pilot to avoid risk of flashback.

* If you smell gas in your gas heater, do not attempt to light the appliance. Turn off all the controls and open doors and window. Call a gas service person.

Wood burning stoves

* Install the stove, chimney connectors and chimneys following manufacturer’s instructions or have a professional do the installation.

* Wood stoves should bear the label of a recognized testing laboratory.

* In wood stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood. In pellet stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood pellets.

* Start the fire with newspaper or kindling, never with a flammable liquid, such as lighter fluid, kerosene or gasoline.

* Keep the doors of your wood stove closed unless loading or stoking the live fire.

* Allow ashes to cool before disposing. Dispose of ashes in a tightly covered metal container and keep the ash container at least 10 feet away from the home and any other nearby buildings. Douse and saturate with water.

* Chimneys and vents need to be cleaned and inspected at least once a year.

NFPA has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Burn Awareness Week - February 7-13, 2010

I saw a Tweet a few days ago by @usfire on Twitter concerning "National Burn Awareness Week." Here's the twitter tweet . . .

@usfire : Burn Awareness Week is Feb 7-13. Educator's guide & presentations on scald injury available at http://bit.ly/bj85yo

It caught my attention to where I asked myself, "What is it?" After checking the link that @usfire provided I did a re-tweet (RT) of it, because after checking the link it became apparent that this was very important, useful common sense safety information.

Here a compiled collection of information that's out there on the internet concerning burn awareness:

Burn Awareness Week 2010 is February 7-13 and is part of a national effort to cut down on burn injuries. This Annual Safety Prevention Campaign is sponsored by the Shriners Hospitals for Children. The 2010 Burn Awareness Week, celebrated early in the year, is an excellent opportunity to “kick off” a year full of burn awareness education. This year's campaign will focus on preventing scalds and gasoline-related burns. Scalds are the leading cause of burn injuries every year, especially to children under the age of 5 and to senior citizens. Shriners Hospitals report that children ages 10-14 are four times more likely than other age groups to get in trouble with gasoline, and that scald burns are the most common burn injury among children age 4 and younger.

Children have thinner skin than adults. They will sustain more severe burns at lower temperatures and in a shorter period of time. Exposure for just five seconds to water which is 60 degrees C (140 degrees F) can result in a full thickness or third degree burns, which would require hospitalization and skin grafts. (This is the temperature of the average home’s hot water as it comes from the tap).

Here is a YouTube video concerning the importance of testing the temperature of bathwater before putting children into the tub. . .





Cooling the burned area will lessen the severity of the injury if the procedure is performed immediately following the burn incident. Children need to know the correct procedure for cooling a burn injury.

Scald injuries occur from a variety of causes, including hot coffee or chocolate, grease, foods from the microwave and hot water. Adults are most often injured by hot grease or by their clothing catching on fire while cooking.

In the event of a burn, it is important to immediately take the following steps:

* Cool all burns with tepid to cool water, regardless of degree.

* Continue flushing the area for up to 10 minutes. Do not apply ice, ointments, butter or other "home remedies." Remove all clothing or garments to reduce the contact time with the hot items.

* Cover affected areas with a clean dry cloth, towel or blanket to protect the burn and minimize pain.

* Seek medical advice if there is sloughing of the skin. Seek urgent medical attention if the area of skin sloughing is larger than the victim’s palm size.

Burn Awareness Week 2010 is intended to make people, especially parents and child caregivers, aware of the dangers involved with the improper use and storage of gasoline, as well as the dangers involved with scalding-hot liquids. Children’s are curious, and sometimes mischievous, nature tends to put them at risk for burns.

Burns caused by ignited vapor from gasoline or scalding hot water can scar the victim for life and leave long-lasting physical pain.

There are several layers of tissue that have to go through a healing process if there is a burn injury. A burn is painful for a significant amount of time. When you suffer with a burn injury, you are stuck with that for life. Burns are the most disfiguring injury someone can suffer from.

In regards to gasoline safety, gas should be stored in approved containers in a ventilated area away from any heat sources. Plastic gas containers should not be filled while they are in the back of pickups with plastic bed liners, because the opposing plastic materials create static electricity that can ignite gas vapor.

Because gasoline is so commonly used to fuel our cars, boats, lawnmowers and other outdoor machinery, people often forget that gasoline is a dangerous tool and should be handled responsibly.

Here some PowerPoint presentation on burn prevention programs that were developed for community education and outreach initiatives:

Scald Injury Prevention

Gasoline Safety

Fire/Burn Safety for Older Adults

It doesn't hurt to remind people of this very important fire safety/prevention issue. Just as it's important to remind family members and co-workers to wipe their shoes when coming in from sloppy weather. That puddle of water that develops from un-wiped shoes becomes a slipping hazard. Knowing what to do beforehand can be critical when it comes to burn injuries.


It's simple and easy to do . . .


LEARN NOT TO BURN
&
BE FIRE SAFE !


Referance Links:

http://www.shrinershq.org/Hospitals/Burn_Awareness/

http://www.ameriburn.org/


(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; this is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

KEEP A LID ON COOKING FIRES‏

Fires and burns caused by careless cooking account for thousands of serious and painful injuries every year. Many of these injuries could be prevented or lessened if people were more cautious and if they knew how to safely put out cooking fires.

Most cooking fires involve grease. Whether it's cooking oil lard or melted fat from meats, grease is a flammable liquid which ignites easily and burns rapidly. If grease ignites in a pan on your stove, smother the fire by sliding the lid or a large pan on the fire. If the fire begins in your stove, turn off the heat and leave the door close to smother the flames. You can also use baking soda (not baking powder) or a portable fire extinguisher to put out the fire. If the fire is too large to slide a lid on or to use a fire extinguisher, leave the house immediately and call the fire department from a neighbor’s house.

With grease fires, it’s just as important to know how not to extinguish as it is to know how to. The wrong action can spread the fire and caused serious burns. Never use water or flour on a grease fire. Water will make the fire bigger and can splatter the burning grease. Flour can explode. Never carry the burning pan because you may spill the grease on you or someone else. Deal with the fire where it starts. Do not turn on the exhaust fan above the stove.

Unfortunately, the typical response to a grease fire is to carry the burning pan outside or pour water on it. Both actions are dead wrong.

Some cooking fires are caused by leaving combustible items, like paper towels, dish towels, paper bags, etc. near the stove, or other hot cooking appliances. Others start because of a grease build-up in stoves, broilers, vents, etc.. Keep these areas clear and clean of grease and combustibles.

Frequent Burns are caused by microwave cooking. Most microwave recipes call for the use of plastic wraps. When containers are removed from the microwave, they may not feel hot, but boiling hot steam has accumulated under the plastic wrap. Always open the wrap away from you and protect your hands while doing so. Burns also occurred because microwave food cooks from the inside-out and the center may be hot enough to cause serious burns in the mouth. Be especially careful when serving children food from the microwave oven.

One way to prevent cooking fires is to never leave the cooking area unattended. It takes only seconds for grease to ignite. A “watched pot” may never boil, but it is less likely to catch fire.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

SMOKE DETECTOR SOUNDS! REACT!

There was a fatal fire in East Baltimore where four people died last week. One of the four victims was a 2-year-old girl. Very tragic.

It was first thought that there were no smoke detectors located in the row house where the fire and fatalities took place. For this fatal fire though there were active smoke detectors. The fire itself was under control by the Baltimore Fire Department in less than an hour.

So what happen? Why did it happen? How could it happen? These are the questions I ask myself when I read a news story such as the one that happen in East Baltimore when there were working smoke detectors present. We may never know.

I do know that it’s not a secret that with working smoke detectors installed in the home they can save lives when properly maintained. Smoke detectors have saved lives and you only need to look at the number of lives they have saved on past fire emergencies.

There was a fire almost the same day as the East Baltimore fatal fire in Albany, GA, in Worth County where everyone got out of the home safely because of having working smoke detectors.

Here are two fires that happen this past week, that were 16 hours apart, both had working/active smoke detectors, the fires in two different parts of the country, but had two different outcomes.

We may never know what prevented the four individuals at the East Baltimore fire from getting out of their home.

What must continue though are fire prevention practice of knowing what to do when you hear a smoke detector sounds off, because there may only be a minute or two to react in getting yourself and love ones out of the home to safety.

Have smoke detectors installed strategically placed, one detector on each level of the home so they can be effective.

Go over with your family members what should be done if a fire starts and how to react when the smoke detector sounds. Make sure you neighbors and co-workers have smoke alarms, test them monthly, and a plan to get out of a fire situation alive.

If a fire occurred in your home or workplace, would you know how to respond? The prevention of fires should be your number one goal with regard to fire safety practices.

However, when your efforts fail, knowing how to react in a fire situation could save lives, including your own.

A quick way to remember the correct steps to take is to remember the acronym ACTS.

Activate the alarm by shouting “Fire, Fire!” If there’s a fire alarm system, activate it!

Call the fire department as quickly as you can. Call 911 and give the dispatcher all the information. Don’t hang up the phone until the dispatcher does or unless your in immediate danger from the fire.

Take people to safety. Ensure everyone evacuates the home or building.

Show the fire department personnel. Meet the fire department when they arrive so you can explain the situation to them.

Finally, if possible, before fire fighting personnel arrive, attempt to extinguish the fire if you can and only if you can do so without endangering yourself. The sooner you act, the easier the fire will be extinguished. You don’t have much time during a fire situation to prevent even a small fire from escalating to a major one.

Remember that the most important thing to do when there is a fire is to react immediately when that smoke detector sounds. Get love ones as well as yourself out and away to safety from the building that’s on fire. In most fire situations you may only have a matter of minutes to react.

In a fire, everything can be lost. Property and other things if lost can be replaced. Family and friends are to precious to each and everyone to be lost in a fire. If we are able to react quickly when it’s required, then you’ll be grateful to walk away from a fire situation knowing you still have the people you care about and love with you.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)