Seasonal weather changes....a good time to review fire safety

BEATRICE – Seventies for temperatures one day……forties, the next. It’s that seasonal transition time of the year where brushing up on some fire safety topics is a good idea.

Beatrice Fire and Rescue Chief Brian Daake, says that burnt, dusty smell of heating units coming on for the first time in a while, is one part of the season. It’s a good time to have your heating systems checked over.

"Make sure you have your smoke detectors at every level. Daylight Savings time is coming up here, way too quickly. It's a good time to switch out the batteries, and then also have C-O alarms throughout your house, as well, because between those two if there's an issue, they'll catch the problem."

Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors have about a ten-year shelf life…so keep replacement in mind. Daake says heating system problems typically cause a carbon monoxide issue.

"When we get into the heating-type fires, it's fireplaces, wood stoves, that haven't been cleaned. We do have from noontime Kiwanis, they supply us with chimney brushes and rods, where you can come down and check them out and clean the chimney yourself, if that's what you want to do. With portable heating devices, the modern ones are a lot safer than the older ones. If they tip over, they'll automatically shut off. The ones I grew up with, that wasn't a thing. If you do have to use a supplemental heater, make sure its at least three feet away from any objects."

The rule is…..only one portable heating unit per electric outlet….. and don’t use propane or kerosene heaters indoors, because of C-O concerns. They’re designed more for garages or outdoors.  The most common cause of house fires….Daake says, are simply things people do…such as unattended cooking, improperly discarded smoking material, fireplace problems…and electrical malfunctions.

It will become a busier time, with upcoming family gatherings for holidays. If frying something on the stovetop, keep cloth items away and follow recommended cooking safety recommendations. As for fires this year in Beatrice...

"It's either been average, or down. Which is good. We're glad fire prevention messages work and things have changed."

Fire prevention, Daake says, is a more than just a week-long observance. "Even my kids, when they were little would come to the station for tours...and would say, like....dad, have we checked the smoke detector batteries, and things like that. Fire prevention week has kind of turned into fire prevention month."

Firefighters themselves meet with children at the station or at local schools. Daake says it provides a break for the fire and rescue crews….and he says it’s always fun with the kids.