Sadly, the headlines Monday drove home the point that the winter season is the fire season. House fires claimed three people in the state, including a 76-year-old man in Kinston. With those deaths, at least 12 people have perished in house fires in North Carolina since Jan. 5.
As tragic as those dozen deaths are on their own, they are made more so by a common thread that runs through many — a little precaution would have prevented them. Combustible material left too close to a heat source, improperly discarded smoking material, malfunctioning kerosene heater — these mistakes proved fatal in fires from Whiteville to Asheville in just the first six weeks of the year.
Unfortunately, that situation isn’t unusual, either in number or cause. During the first two months of 2012, according to the North Carolina Fire Marshal’s Association, 14 people died in house fires traced to many of the same preventable causes.
It is not clear now what started the Gulick Drive fire that took the life of Jake Rogers; investigators suspect an electrical problem. In Gastonia, where two people died in another early morning house fire, investigators are searching for a cause, as well. To the families of the victims, the cause hardly matters. To the rest of us, it matters as a reminder to take precautions with home heating.
According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA),heating equipment was involved in an estimated 57,100 reported home structure fires in 2010, resulting in 490 civilian deaths, 1,530 civilian injuries, and $1.1 billion in direct property damage.
An NFPA reports provides this insight into leading causes:
— Space heaters, whether portable or stationary, accounted for one-third (32 percent) of home heating fires and four out of five (80 percent) of home heating fire deaths.
— The leading factor contributing to home heating fires (26 percent) was failure to clean, principally creosote from solid-fueled heating equipment, primarily chimneys.
— The leading factor contributing to ignition for home heating fire deaths (51 percent) was heating equipment too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattress, or bedding.
Prevention is largely matter of paying attention and being aware of potential danger, particularly if alternative heating sources such as wood-burning stoves, fireplaces and space heaters are employed. For instance, kerosene heaters come with detailed instructions for use and refueling; read and follow them to the letter. With a wood heater and fireplaces, keep combustible material well away and make sure the chimney is in good repair and clean.
Lastly, take these precautions to heart, no matter what the home-heating source:
— Be sure every level of your home has a working smoke alarm, and be sure to check and clean it on a monthly basis.
— Plan and practice a home escape plan with your family.
— Contact your local fire department for advice if you have questions.