Holiday decorations and home-heating equipment are among the leading causes of home fires in winter, so McComb fire officials are reminding the public to be safe this season.
Some recommended safety measures:
• Have a qualified technician install all new heating equipment, and a qualified professional perform annual inspections.
• Schedule regular cleaning of boilers, furnaces, hot water heaters and chimneys.
• Keep a glass or metal screen in front of fireplace openings to prevent embers and sparks from jumping out.
• Extinguish fireplaces and turn off and unplug heaters and electric blankets before going to sleep (use the blanket to warm the bed before going to sleep, if needed).
• Provide adequate space for heaters (at least three feet away from combustible material).
• Inspect electrical cords before use and make sure they are out from beneath rugs or carpeting.
• Only use heaters and electric blankets with automatic shut-off features and the label of Underwriters Laboratories.
• Keep young children and pets away from heaters.
• Replace electric blankets with broken or frayed cords or scorch marks, as well as blankets that are 10 years old or older with new, not used blankets.
• Do not tuck the corners of electric blankets in or place comforters on top of them.
• Never use an electric blanket on small children or anyone with a physical limitation that would impact their ability to turn the control off.
• Do not overload outlets or overuse extension cords.
• Do not use extension cords for heaters.
• Check for outlets or switches that are discolored or hot to the touch: that can indicate wiring problems.
• Do not leave cooking unattended, and be wary of long sleeves getting caught on burners or pot handles.
• Use candles without embedded combustible decorations and use non-combustible protective globes.
• Place candles away from curtains, draperies and bedding and out of reach of small children and pets.
• Never leave burning candles unattended.
• Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and test the batteries twice a year.
