Wood stove and space heater safety checklist for Kenai homes

Many Kenai homes rely on a wood stove, a monitor heater or portable space heaters through the cold months. Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires in the United States, and most of those fires are preventable with a few habits and the right gear.

1. Wood stoves

• Have the chimney inspected and cleaned before the season starts
• Keep at least three feet clear around the stove
• Burn dry, seasoned wood to reduce creosote
• Put cooled ashes in a metal can with a lid, stored outside away from the house

2. Space heaters

• Choose heaters with tip-over and overheat shutoff
• Plug them straight into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power strip
• Keep them three feet from bedding, curtains and furniture
• Turn them off when you leave the room or go to sleep, or use a timer

An outlet overheating sensor adds an early warning for older wiring that has to work hard all winter.

3. Alarms and extinguishers

• Smoke alarms on every level, inside each bedroom and outside sleeping areas
• Interconnected alarms so one triggers them all
• A carbon monoxide alarm near sleeping areas if you burn wood, oil or gas
• An ABC fire extinguisher in the kitchen and one near the stove or garage
• A fire blanket mounted beside the cooktop

Test alarms every month. A good reminder is the first Saturday of the month.

4. A way out of every room

Draw a simple escape plan with two ways out of every room and a meeting spot outside. For upstairs bedrooms, keep a folding escape ladder under the bed and make sure windows open easily even when it is very cold.

Products mentioned

Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher
$54.99First Alert Hardwire Smoke Alarm
$74.25Kidde Fire Escape Ladder
$53.99