Fire and electrical safety experts share why these mistakes could be hazardous.
Winter is the time of year when many of us hibernate in our homes.
But though these can be cozy months, they can also be among the most hazardous for fires.
From 2017 to 2019, heating fires in homes accounted for an estimated annual average of 34,200 reported fires.
Too many of these incidents were avoidable.
Fire safety and electrical experts shared with HuffPost the biggest mistakes they want you to avoid this winter.
Dont put a space heater close to anything that could combust.
And a space heater can often be the culprit.
Dont go a winter without checking on your carbon monoxide and smoke alarms.
Thats why you need alarms to be alert for danger when youre not.
Theyre your first line of defense in a home fire, McKelvey said.
The USFAalso recommendsreplacing your smoke alarm every decade and checking it at least once a month.
you’re able to typically run a quick checkup by pressing the alarms test button.
Ideally, you dont just have one smoke alarm in your home, though.
Because in a fire situation, its too late to start figuring that out.
Dont leave your heat sources unattended.
One common mistake is leaving anything that can burn unattended even if its just for a few minutes.
Winter can also be a time for long cooking projects over the stove.
But you dont want to set that stew and forget it.
Thats also a common example of how fires can start, McKelvey said.
You walk away for a moment, thinking Ill be right back, and then something else distracts you.
And before you know it, youre away longer than you planned.
And thats when things have happened, she said.
Dont go a winter without doing maintenance on your heating system.
You dont know what you could be having go on long if you dont have a check regularly.
Dont plug in more than what your wall outlet or electrical panel can handle.
Meanwhile, circuits on wall outlets are designed to trip and shut off the power to prevent more overheating.
You want to check the amperage on each appliance that you plug in, Enoch said.
Walker noted that all appliances have a spec sheet where you might look up the maximum amperage or voltage.
Go to wherever your panel is …
