Our human ancestors discovered fire in the mesolithic period over a million years ago, but have we humans today truly mastered fire?
Home heating equipment is one of the leading causes of residential fires.
The risk of such fires is increased tremendously during the fall and winter.
“Massachusetts fire departments reported nearly 6,000 fires related to home heating equipment in the past five years. According to the state Department of Fire Services on their website. These fires claimed eight lives, caused 139 injuries to residents and firefighters, and contributed to more than $42 million in property losses.”
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/department-of-fire-services
“I set a rag on fire once, I was making mac and cheese and the water spilled and when I wiped it up I set the rag on fire,” Triton Senior Scott Holscher said. “I threw it into the sink and I sprayed it with water.”
This is a common example of how a mundane task can lead to a fiery outcome. A reminder that it is best to always remain vigilant around any flame.
In the winter months when people are trying to heat their homes, house fires become more common. That is because utilities used to heat homes can start fires that can damage and destroy households.
Fire Chief of the Salisbury Fire Department Scott Carrigan wants to send the message about fire safety during the colder months. “We typically warn them (The Public)seasonally in the fall,” Carrigan says.
“I would say it’s probably more common for fires to occur during the evening hours and overnight.” Carrigan warns.
The reason for this is a lot of people forget to turn off their heaters or douse their wood stove or fireplace fires when they go to bed and it is this negligence that can lead to a burning home.
“We send specially trained fire investigators to look at smoke and fire damage to determine the origin” Carrigan says.
When a building burns down due to home heating equipment the origin of the fire is near the heat source and it is pretty obvious what happened.
When listing potential causes of fires during the winter months he states “…chimney fires are a big one. Due to a lack of maintenance”
A buildup of debris and ash in a chimney can prevent your fires from ventilating and your house can fill with harmful fumes and carbon monoxide.
“Over my whole career I have seen quite a few fires caused by chimneys but they are not a common occurrence,” Carrigan says
Houses burning down from home heating equipment is not an everyday occurrence but it is still a way for a home to be destroyed. Just about everyone in New England has a fireplace or woodstove.
The last thing Carrigan warns about are installations by a non professional. “Someone will go to the Home Depot to get the materials for a do-it-yourself installation instead of hiring a professional to do it.”
Carrigan says even though it might cost more to hire a professional to install fireplaces, wood stoves, and heaters, as well as to clean chimneys, it is important to keep the risk of your home burning down to a minimum. Hiring someone who knows what they are doing when installing equipment is the way to ensure there will be no house fires caused by electrical heating equipment.
“I had a fireplace in my old home and I have a gas fireplace in my house right now.” Said Triton Junior Lowell Parra.
It is important that you be careful of gas leakage when owning a gas fireplace. Any loose connection joint is all it takes. A hissing sound or smell of gas near your gas fireplace is a telltale sign of a leak.
“Having your heating system serviced each year will help reduce the risk of a fire or carbon monoxide incident that puts you and your loved ones in danger,” State Fire Marshal Davine says in a press release on Mass.gov.
