A poll conducted by the American Red Cross in 2006 indicated that four out of ten (40 percent)families were using an alternative form of heat (a space heater, fireplace, or wood- or coal-burning stove) to help them stay warm during cold weather. Of those families with children under 18, fifty percent were using an alternative form of heat. Home fires are more likely to occur during the cold weather, and the U.S. Fire Adminstration estimates that alternative heat sources play a role in 74 percent of fire-related deaths.
Viewer Tip: Make sure your family is protected from fires and heating-related hazards by ensuring that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home are working properly. The U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission suggests that you check home detectors when you reset your clocks, making this weekend’s “spring forward” into Daylight Saving Time the perfect opportunity to check them out. Don’t have smoke or carbon monoxide detectors? You can find them for a reasonable price at your local home improvement store.
Season: Spring
(Sources: American Red Cross. January 2006. “Public Awareness of the Dangers of Home Fires.” http://www.redcross.org/static/file_cont5109_lang0_1820.pdf; American Red Cross. “Home Fires are Most Common Disasters in U.S.” http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_332_5103,00.html; Us Consumer Product Safety Commission, http://www.cpsc.gov/)
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