Staying safe at home: Winter increases the need to practice home fire safety – StMaryNow.com

Cooking is part of many holiday plans. But be aware that the State Fire Marshal's Office is seeing an increase in kitchen-related fires.Kitchen fires, along with fires related to home heating, are the most common types of calls the Morgan City Fire Department responds to at this time of year.The most important thing a homeowner can do is have a smoke detector, Morgan City Fire Chief Alvin Cockerham said Wednesday.Cockerham said unattended cooking is something that is common in fire calls they respond to, with people saying they were just gone simply for a few minutes.Thats all it takes sometimes, he said, noting that leaving something unattended on the stove for five minutes or forgetting it in the oven can lead to a fire. It may seem like five minutes, but its probably longer than five minutes.The State Fire Marshals Office urges people not to leave the home when cooking and not to leave the kitchen when cooking using a stove.Along with those steps comes the smoke detector.Smoke detectors save countless, countless lives, Cockerham said. Thats one of the best things anybody can have.As of Dec. 11, State Fire Marshal Chief H. Butch Browning reported that 70 people statewide had died this year due to fires.While that is currently less than the fatality counts of the past few years, its too many, and we dont want to see anymore, Browning said in a recent news release.For those unable to install a smoke detector due to disability, etc., the State Fire Marshals Office has the Operation Save-A-Life program, which works with local fire departments and district to install smoke alarms for free.Cockerham said his department can install those locally if Morgan City residents need them.To register online with the State Fire Marshals Office for the program, visit http://www.lasfm.org.As for heating, Cockerham said a pre-winter checkup on heaters is a good idea.Its always good to have your heater checked out before winter time gets here just as a safety precaution to see if its burning right, to see if its not full of dust, he said.Another crucial element for safety is a carbon monoxide detector, Cockerham said.We get several calls a year with carbon monoxide, the chief said. People having detectors and they work, and sometimes you dont even realize that youre breathing that stuff.Fire extinguishers also are good to have in a home, the chief said.As for Christmas decorations, Cockerham says they should be checked to ensure wiring doesnt have any frays. While he said power strips can be used, Cockerham recommended only using one that is both heavy duty and is approved by Underwriters Laboratories.Not one of these small ones that you buy, and theyre cheap, he said.However, Cockerham said do not overload the strip.He also said that its never a good idea to leave Christmas decorations on overnight and to make sure you water your Christmas tree daily if it is live.If you keep water in it, keep constant moisture in it, its less likely to catch a fire if something does happen, Cockerham said. That dont mean it wont, but its just less likely.If residents do have smoke in their house, however, Cockerham urged them to evacuate everyone and call the fire department to handle the situation.It may be a light fixture. It may still be something minor, but if you dont know where its at, then the best thing on the safety side is to get out of the house, he said.

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Staying safe at home: Winter increases the need to practice home fire safety - StMaryNow.com