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San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District has seen a sharp increase in the number of homes damaged or destroyed by fires caused by fireplaces, chimneys and home heating units over the past three years. These types of fires have caused millions of dollars in damage and affected many local families, the district said.
Firefighters and district personnel are reminding residents to reduce their risk of chimney or home heating fire by following several simple steps:
* Schedule an annual inspection of your fireplace and chimney with a licensed contractor. This simple and short appointment can prevent a devastating chimney fire.
* Ensure your chimney is equipped with an approved spark arrestor.
*Never burn trash, paper or holiday wrap in your fireplace. Burning embers can float up your chimney and onto your roof or into your yard.
* Discard ashes into a closed metal container, fill with water and store outside away from your home.
The district also encourages residents to contact home heating specialists to inspect furnaces. If you use a portable heater, keep it three feet from items that can catch fire and make sure it has an automatic turn-off function should it turn over.
The Bay Area’s winter spare the air program runs through Feb. 21 during which time the Bay Area Air Quality Management District will issue spare the air alerts when particulate matter concentrations are expected to be unhealthy. The air district will also call for no-burn days in an effort to reduce levels of soot and prevent spare the air alerts.
For more tips on making this winter safe along with a list of licensed chimney contractors visit [http:// www.firedepartment.org www.firedepartment.org].
