It appears that winter is finally here. Nights are crisp and cold. Everyone is turning up the heaters and lighting the fireplaces. As the song goes, “it's the most wonderful time of the year.” My concern is that we all make it through the cold holiday season safely. To that end and to help you stay safe, I have some suggestions.

Keep your fireplaces clean and utilize the fire screens. No matter what type of wood you burn, there is always a chance that the wood may pop or roll out. Pull the screen closed and be certain it's closed all the way. When you are disposing of the ash build up in your fireplace, be sure that the embers are completely out. Most people will discard them in their plastic trash cans.

The heat created by the embers will sometimes ignite papers in the trash can and then we're off to the races. We respond to these types of fires every year. The best way to take care of this problem is to use a metal bucket for the ashes and leave the bucket outside on the lawn or patio for the night, then throw them away the next day.

If you are burning the pressed wood logs that you can buy in the store, never burn more than one at a time, as they give off a tremendous amount of heat. Most pressed wood logs are constructed by combining sawdust and wax. They are designed to burn individually and not be broken apart. If you use the poker on one of these logs or break them apart, you will be exposing more flammable material, sawdust particles and wax fumes to the flames than was intended to burn. This could result in a flare up and an increase in fire intensity. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Burn one log at a time and leave it alone.

When using supplemental heating devices such as space heaters, always keep at least a three-foot clearance from other combustible materials or furniture. If the heating element comes in contact with paper or clothing, it will easily ignite them and this is not the way you want to heat your house.

Never leave a space heater on when you go to bed. Be aware that pets or children may accidentally stumble into the heaters and knock them over. Newer space heaters have a safety device that will automatically shut them off if they are knocked over. Keep your space heaters away from any water sources as well. They just don't seem to work well together.

Any heating device that uses fuel, including wood in the fireplace, is a potential source of carbon monoxide. This is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced when a fuel is not burned completely. To prevent a deadly build up of CO in your home, have a carbon monoxide detector installed as an early warning system. Some symptoms of CO poisoning are headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, numbness and /or tingling.

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This is also the time of year where a lot of candles are used for decorations. Candles add an air of nostalgia and romance but they can also be dangerous. Be extremely careful that all your candles are in non-combustible containers, that don't transfer the heat from the candle to anything else. Always extinguish all the candles before going to bed and keep all the candles away from any items that can burn.

We want to see you all happy and smiling through the holidays so stay safe!

Call us if you need us. We're always just a phone call away.

If you have any questions regarding the fire department please contact me by e-mail at s_hart@ci.lompoc.ca.us.

Battalion Chief Stanley K. Hart is operations officer for the Lompoc Fire Department.

November 16, 2008