Home Heating
Brrrr. In typical Pacific Northwest fashion, the slide from autumn to winter is cloaked in a perpetual grey drizzle. Rain gear abounds, scarfs and hats adorn our bodies, and the stale yet familiar smell of dust careens through our homes as we turn on our heaters for the first time this season. Minds distracted with warmth, comfort, and perhaps the upcoming holidays, it’s easy to overlook just how dangerous heating sources can be.
Half of all home heating fires occur in the months of December, January, and February. Space heaters account for 86% of fire fatalities involving home heating equipment. And a leading factor in home heating fires is a failure to clean fireplaces and chimneys. While this may sound daunting, the reality is, a few simple precautions can help you prevent most heating fires from happening.
Have your fireplace and chimney professionally cleaned and inspected annually. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet from any heating equipment, including and importantly, space heaters. Use fireplace screens to keep sparks in and pets and children out. Avoid using your oven as a heating source. And install and test both smoke and carbon monoxide alarms each month.
A Fun Peek Into How We're Protecting Ourselves and Our Community
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges to us and to our community. We continue to respond to all emergency calls and have made many adaptations to our protocols, both in the stations and on responses, to ensure the safety of our residents and our firefighters. Our commitment to those who serve has not wavered and neither have our spirits. Here we share a lighthearted view into some of the measures we have taken to minimize the risk the virus presents to us all.
We encourage all residents to remain calm yet diligent and informed by reading the City of Bellevue and Fire Department's daily COVID-19 updates.
On the Horizon: Fire Station 10
Please follow this link for more information.