| As fall rapidly approaches, the Ridge Volunteer Fire Department would like to remind you that certain precautions should be put in place while your enjoying the season change. Some of the precautions are obvious, others are some you may not have thought of.
The first and foremost thing to remember is when you change your clocks, you need to check and/or change the batteries in your smoke detector! We say this every time you change your clocks, but there is a reason that we do! When you are asleep at night, the last thing you want is to be awakened to the sound of your smoke detector. However, that sound can, and has been for so many, the difference between life and death. Just remember, if your smoke detector goes off, you need to get out!
The next area that you should be wary of is your home heating system. In our area, fall night's can be very cool and you may need to turn your heat on. If you have central heating, make sure that the system is clean, and if it's not, have someone clean it. While your having it cleaned, it's also good to have it inspected and serviced. Not only can this reduce your electric bill, but it can also reduce buildups in heating ducts. If you have a gas heating system, please make sure you have carbon monoxide detectors. When you check your smoke detectors, it would be a good time to check your carbon monoxide detectors aswell. If you'll be using a space heater, make sure there is a 3 foot clearance on all sides of the heater. Make sure the heater is off when you leave your house.
When your outside this fall, check your gutters. Make sure they are free of debris and clutter. This may sound like we're trying to inform you of how to maintain your house, but in reality clogged gutters can be a fire hazard. Pine needles, dead leaves, branches etc can act as kindling if an electrical fire happens in your home and walks up your wall. Instead of having little damage, the house could be well on fire by the time we get there! Remember, for every minute a fire burns, it doubles in size.
The Ridge Volunteers would like to remind you that burning leaves are an enormous fire hazard. We recommend not burning them. Leaves that are on fire can easily be picked up by the fall winds and travel to other dry areas and light them on fire. Embers can also be easily picked up in a wind and light the surrounding areas on fire, along with homes. |
