Fire officials warn residents of home heating dangers

With cooler temperatures and rain making way into the area, fire officials are reminding residents to take steps to heat their homes safely.

Officials with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and Atwater Fire Department are urging residents to properly maintain their heating equipment. This time of year, fire departments across the nation see an increase in home fires due to dangerous heating equipment or unsafe practices, officials said.

Half the fires caused by home heating equipment are reported in December, January and February.

“Home fires caused by negligent use of heating equipment are easily preventable,” said State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover. “Taking the time to check your heating equipment and maintaining it correctly could make the difference in protecting your home, but most importantly your life.

“If the heat is provided using fossil fuels, there should be a working carbon monoxide alarm to help alert residents if a malfunction in their heating equipment occurs,” she added. “And as always, make sure you have working smoke alarms throughout the home.”

Officials offer the following tips:

▪ Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heater.

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

▪ Never use your oven to heat your home.

▪ Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.

▪ Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.

This story was originally published December 21, 2015 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Fire officials warn residents of home heating dangers."