Fall & Winter Safety Tips

Fall and Winter bring an increased risk of fires: increased holiday cooking, home heating, and yard cleaning.

Below are safety tips to reduce the risk of fires in and around your home.

According to NFPA, cooking fires are the #1 cuase of home fires and home fire injuries.  And as we near the holidays, more people will be cooking.
+ Be on alart when cooking and never leave cooking materials 
    unattended. 
+ Keep flammable materials away from the stovetop.
+ Have a kid-free zone of at least 3 feet around the stove.


If you have a cooking fire:
For stovetop fire in a pan = cover the pan with a lid and turn the burner off.
For oven fires = leave the oven door shut and turn it off.
After these first steps, exit the home and call 9-1-1.

NFPA Data Report

NFPA Cooking Safety Information

 

  

Holiday Decorating
Choose flame resistant or flame retardant decorations.
Replace any strings of lights with worn or broken cords.
Use clips, not nails, for hanging lights.
Keep children and pets away from lit candles.
Keep Christmas trees away from heat sources.
Make sure decorations, trees, and other items do not block exits.
Always turn off lights and blow out candles before going to bed or leaving the house.

NFPA Winter Safety Sheet & Christmas Tree Safety Sheet

More tips and videos on holiday safety click here.

Outdoor Burning
As the leaves turn and fall, most people can be found raking them up.
If you choose to burn your leaves and yard debris, please follow these rules:
1. You must have a burn permit each and every time you want to burn.
2. Burn permits expire at sundown and there is NO burning on Sundays.
3. You can only burn natural, yard debris from your property.
    *No household garbage, furniture, tires, plastics, glass, metals or
      construction materials.

Keep updated through Georgia Forestry.
Local Office @ 754-6932

Avoid Brush Fires
Make sure you have a garden hose ready, in case you need to put the fire out.
Never leave a fire burning unattended.
Keep your fire to a reasonable and manageable size.
Build your fire in a designated area, clear of hazards and debris.
More Information on Wildfire Safety