Winter Fire Prevention & Safety Tips for Apartments

• Inspect furnaces, including controls and emergency shut-offs, annually to ensure they’re in good working condition.
• Monitor walls and ceilings near each furnace and along the chimney line. Apply additional pipe insulation if the wall is hot.
• Check flue pipes and pipe seams for leaks and proper support. There shouldn’t be any holes, cracks or soot around the seams.
• Look for cracks and loose bricks around chimneys and repair them as needed.
• Examine flue openings. Unused flue openings must be sealed with solid masonry.
• Keep trash and other combustibles away from heating systems.
• Always choose a qualified specialist for furnace repairs. Do not attempt to repair furnaces yourself.

• Inspect fireplaces and chimneys annually for proper installation, soundness and soot buildup.
• Clean chimneys with proper fireplace cleaners when 1/8 inch of soot or creosote buildup is visible.
• Clean any fireplace that has not been used for an extended time.
• Clean the chimney if any glaze is visible.
• Use a glass or metal fireplace screen to prevent embers and sparks from jumping out or unwanted materials from going in.
• Do not close fireplace dampers while there are hot ashes. A closed damper reheats fires and forces toxic carbon monoxide into the home.

• Check if kerosene heaters are legal in your area.
• Inspect heaters and exhausts for carbon build-up.
• Make sure there is an emergency shut-off in the event the heater is tipped over.
• Prohibit residents from using fuel-burning appliances without proper ventilation.
• Check heaters for recommended kerosene fuel types and supply residents with those fuel types.
• Reccomend residents keep young children away from space heaters.
• Do not allow residents to refill kerosene heatersby themselves. Request that they contact maintenance.
• Never fill heaters while they are operating or hot.
• When no longer in use, store all space heaters and fuel in non-flammable metal containers.

There are more than 300,000 home fires each year and billions of dollars in damages. With simple steps and fire safety, you can prevent fires on your properties and keep your residents safe.

Learn the details of fire legislation in your area and work to exceed those standards. Work to help your local firefighters by keeping nearby fire hydrants clear of snow. Create an evacuation plan for your building and communicate it to all of your residents frequently.

In addition to winterizing your property, you should encourage your renters to follow fire safety advice. While heating and electrical are two of the top five causes of home fires, cooking is the top cause year after year.

Remind your residents to:

• Check smoke alarms and CO detectors monthly and contact property maintenance as soon as they notice errors .
• Discard hot ashes in a metal container outside and well away from the building.
• Never use ranges or ovens as supplemental heating devices.
• Only use extension cords that have the correct rating. A good way to ensure this is by using an extension cord that is the same size or larger than the appliance’s electrical cord.
• Be careful not to overload circuits.
• Avoid using electric heaters in bathrooms and other areas where they may come in contact with water.
• Never try to thaw frozen pipes with a torch or an open flame. Use hot water or a hand-held dryer instead.
• Make and practice a fire escape plan. Keep a residential fire escape ladder if needed.

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