Fire officials warn of winter dangers

News

Friday, January 16, 2015

By KATHY CLEVELAND

Staff Writer

A couple of weeks ago, someone living in the outskirts of Brookline got very lucky.

A passerby noticed smoke coming from the front porch and called for help, and fire damage was confined to a small area of the porch.

The problem was wood ashes a common cause of winter fires when they arent disposed of properly, Brookline Assistant Fire Chief Scott Knowles said.

January is a peak month for house fires, and local fire officials have some tips for avoiding the devastation of a winter fire.

These fires are usually caused by heating equipment, and on average, wood stoves, fireplaces and other forms of alternate heat are involved in more than 60,000 reported U.S. home structure fires a year, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

While these numbers are frightening, nearly all of these fires are preventable, J. William Degnan, state fire marshal, said in one of his recent newsletters.

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Fire officials warn of winter dangers