Each year home fires cause 890 deaths and $2 Billion in property loss, many of them coming from the use of fireplaces or other supplemental methods to heat your home, please make sure to take the necessary precautions to prevent this from happening.

The winter months can get very cold and people use all different means to heat their homes and keep their family warm.  Snuggling by the fire with your children sitting on your lap while reading books is a special time for all.  When using a fireplace or other supplemental heat source, make sure to take the necessary precautions to protect your home against a fire loss.

Quick fact, half of all home heating fires occur in December, January and February.  The most common time of the day for a fire to occur is between 5 and 8PM.  Here are some heating safety tips to prevent your home from catching fire, taken from West Bend Mutual Insurance

1. Follow the Three Feet Rule.  Keep Flammable materials at least three feet away from fireplaces, wood stoves, and space heaters

2. Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors regularly.  Consider replacing batteries when Daylight savings Time begins and ends

3. Avoid overloading electrical outlets

4. Don't use candles during a power outage, rely on flashlights instead

5. Always plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet, not into an extension cord or power strip.

6. Inspect your chimney yearly

7. Store cooled ashes in metal container, at least 10 feet from your home and other buildings  These are all preventable losses so while keeping your family warm this winter, keep in mind the importance of fire safety and prevention.