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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 02-19 Home fires peak in winter - LillieNews 2/19/2016 Home fires peak in winter I Lillie Suburban Newspapers-Li I I ieNews.com Home fp ea k in winter „.. FBANK Submitted by admin on Thu,02/18/2016- 10:51 am "Firefighters save more than homes. They save hearts,memories and dreams,"– Whole Truth Project House fires can be incredibly dangerous,deadly and costly.While these numbers of house fires in the U.S. have consistently gone down in the past decade–fire prevention and awareness is still important and there is always more we can do to keep our homes safe from viciously fast and destructive fires.There is in fact,a lot each of us can do to prevent fires from happening in our own homes. But when fire does strike—we are all lucky to live in a place that is full of so many hardworking firefighters.These full time and volunteer men and women work all hours of the night, in frequently tough weather conditions—saving lives and saving our homes from total destruction.We can't thank them enough for their efforts. Our region is lucky to have a new state-of-the-art training facility in Maplewood called the East Metro Regional Public Safety Training Center.This facility was funded in part through state bonding dollars,and I'm grateful to Maplewood Fire Chief Steve Lukin and Oakdale Fire Chief Jeff Anderson for their leadership and advocacy about the importance of this project. This training center offers critical skills building and practice for firefighters from more than 20 communities across the region including North St. Paul,White Bear Lake, Birchwood, Oakdale and Mahtomedi.The facility also has partnerships with Century College,the Ramsey County Police Chiefs Association,Washington County Sheriffs and Ramsey County Sheriffs. These local partnerships ensure our local fire and public safety officers are getting the best and most up-to-date training available. According to the Department of Public Safety,last year in Minnesota the leading cause of structure fires was cooking.Those cooking fires caused nearly$6 million in damage last year in our state. Officials say in order to prevent cooking fires always stay in the kitchen while you are cooking. Our kitchens can get a little crazy sometimes when you've got a lot of items cooking at the same time—remember to keep things that can burn, like oven mitts,towels and wooden spoons—three feet from the stove. For other cooking fire prevention tips, visit: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/sfm/public-education/Documents/Fact°/`20sheet.... Candles and open flames are the third leading cause of Minnesota structure fires. Particularly during these long and cold winter months—many families and homes are lighting candles.The Department of Public Safety(DPS)says consider choosing flameless candles–most offer the same flicker effect as real candles and come in scented varieties.Other advice includes keeping traditional candles in a sturdy container that cannot be tipped over.And remember,always extinguish candles before leaving the room or going to bed. For more tips,visit:httl)s://di)s.mn.gov/divisions/sfm/public- education/Documents/Fact%20sheet.... When it comes to heating our homes in the winter months,some alternative sources of heat can be more dangerous than http://eastsi dereviewnews.com/articles/2016/02/18/hom e-fi res-peak-winter 1/2 2/19/2016 Home fires peak in winter I Lillie Suburban Newspapers-Li I I ieNews.com others. In fact, most home fires occur in the winter and peak in the month of January.The DPS advices keeping portable heaters three feet from anything flammable and turning them off when you go to sleep. Other advice includes having your home heating system and chimney cleaned and inspected annually. For other advice, visit: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/sfm/public-education/Documents/Fact%20sheet.... We've all heard the advice about smoke alarms, but did you know that working smoke alarms cut in half your risk of dying in a residential fire?According to the DPS,smoke alarm batteries should be changed at least one a year and tested monthly. Make sure you've installed a smoke alarm in every bedroom,outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. For more advice on smoke alarms,visit: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/sfm/public- education/Documents/Fact%20sheet.... Another important tip for fire prevention is escape planning.The DPS reports that more than 80 percent of families have not practiced home fire drills.Consider this though,experts estimate you have as little as two minutes to safely escape your home once the smoke alarm sounds. Planning your families escape once a fire alarm sounds is a good way to ensure everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency.The DPS has several good escape planning options on its website:https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/sfm/public-education/Documents/Fact%20sheet.... If disaster has struck and you have had a house fire,there are many services that can help.After a fire, home owners should contact their insurance company,and once the fire is put out they should try to find valuable documents like driver's licenses, Social Security cards and credit cards.You should also contact a local disaster relief service like the American Red Cross. You can call them at 612-871-7676. For more information from the Red Cross,visit their website:httQ://www.redcross.oM/local/mn/chapters/twin-cities. As always, please contact me with questions or suggestions regarding any issue. I encourage you to visit me at the Capitol, or let me know if you'd like me to stop by your home or apartment. Also, please tune in to my local cable TV show,"Your Capitol:What's Up?"which appears on public access channels 15 and 16. I can be reached by email at sen.chuck.wiger&senate.mn and by phone at 651-296-6820 or by cell at 651-770-0283. http://eastsidereviewnews.com/articles/2016/02/18/home-fires-peak-winter 2/2