With the seasons changing and we get cooler weather in Northern Nevada, first responders and professionals fill the community in on how they can safely prepare for the winter.
Reno Fire Department officials and the Fire Marshal, John Beck, tell us, "As the summer months start to wane and temperatures get cooler, I think the public can become a little complacent, thinking the fire hazards have diminished. But that's not actually the case. There's no true fire season anymore. We have some of our worst fires in November, December and January."
He says that many of these come from appliances in the household that may need to be serviced. Things like fireplaces, heaters and heating units.
"Any kind of heating device, you know, our furnaces, our fireplaces, those are those are appliances where people haven't been using them for a matter of months, and those need to be brought back online again. So, we want to make sure that with our furnaces that we get them regularly serviced."
Properly caring for and being aware of when these devices can be crucial. Polo Aceves, from Goettl Air Conditioning and Heating, adds, "Changing filters. That's the number one thing. We definitely see a lot of dirty filters as culprits. That's going to put strain and stress on the furnace, causing it to have interruptions."
He says anything leaking oil, making a noise, or releasing dust can be very dangerous and pose a threat to fires. Aceves also says that playing the "thermostat game" is also dangerous, and users should set their heater and keep it at a consistent temperature, allowing it to work less hard to heat their home.
The Fire Marshal also mentioned some important tips for using smaller space heaters to heat small areas, "Make sure that we have no combustibles within three feet a minimum, in front of those heaters, because they might not seem like it can start a fire, but you walk out of the room and we see that happen, you know, every season."
For additional fire prevention tips, you can always go to our website for more.
