During the coming months, many of us will be diligent in clearing a defensible space around our homes and outbuildings. Once we’ve gotten those branches, pine needles, brush cuttings and leaves piled high, it won’t be a good idea to just leave them where they lie … not only are they eye sores and great places for snakes to make their homes, but they can be a fire’s best chance to spread.
The first thing we’ll need to do is get a burn permit. This is crucial because on Red Flag Warning days, it’s just too hazardous for burning anything, even in a wood stove or fireplace. Chicago may be the official ‘windy city’, but our winds here in Boncarbo are pretty impressive at times! A nice gust could carry sparks from our burn sites to grass or brush a considerable distance away, and then we could be in big trouble. Not only will we have to deal with the fire damage and possible injuries, but we could get slapped with a fine for the illegal burn.
To get a burn permit we’ll need to call Mary Ann Herzog, Fire Chief of the Bon Carbo Volunteer Fire Department, at 846-8538 to make the request. If she’s unable to answer, we can leave a message – she’ll call back as soon as possible.
If a permit has been issued to us in the past, Chief Mary Ann will be able to give verbal approval over the phone. If this is a first request, she’ll schedule an appointment to inspect our burn site and, if it’s safe, issue the physical burn permit then.
It’s illegal to burn pretty much anything other than what we’ve cleared from trees or shrubs, so we’ll have to forget about torching those old tires or that stack of plastic bottles and containers we’ve been meaning to take to the landfill. Besides, some of those things give off toxic fumes when burned.
How to Burn Debris Safely, Part Two will cover how to prepare the burn site and will be posted at a later date.
Posted by Colleen C.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Are You Fire Wise About Your Child’s Safety?
There are so many things as adults that we take for granted.
Because we’re old enough to know where fire comes from, we tend to forget how we felt about it when we were much younger. Do you remember the first time you heard the sound of a match being struck and the smell of the sulfur as it billowed into a flickering light? Or the surprise you felt when you saw your mom turn the knob on the stove and the blue and yellow glow appeared? What about the first time you saw your dad or granddad flick a lighter and a flame popped out?
Pretty amazing stuff – especially to a toddler!
As you got older, were you one of those lucky kids who played with matches and suffered no consequences? Statistics prove that many, many other children haven’t been so fortunate. Fires can spread ridiculously fast, and one small mistake can be the last.
It’s true that curiosity about fire is natural, so we, as parents, need to be aware that matches left on the coffee table or candles left burning in the living room can cause all sorts of trouble if we’re not diligent.
Some things we need to do are:
• Put matches and lighters up out of our child or grandchild’s reach or keep them in the pocket of the clothing we’re wearing at the moment. Even better, lock them away! Children can be extremely resourceful – it wouldn’t be that hard to figure out a way to climb up on the counter to get their little fingers around that lighter!
• The Cinnamon Spice candle that makes our house smell so nice can leave little Timmy blistered, or cause his clothes to catch on fire if we’re not paying attention!
• If we can’t do it ourselves, we need to designate a responsible adult to keep at least one eye on the children at all times. We need to keep in mind that fire is only one possible danger kids can encounter before they get old enough to make wise decisions for themselves!
• Granted, the loud beeping of a smoke detector is annoying, but it may just be the only thing between our child and her painful burns or death! That sounds harsh, but it’s true. Our homes should have detectors in or near each bedroom, as well as throughout the entire space.
If we do our jobs right, our little Timmy’s and Tammy’s will grow up, safe and unscarred, with a healthy respect for the benefits and dangers of fire. It’s up to us!
Posted by Colleen C.
Because we’re old enough to know where fire comes from, we tend to forget how we felt about it when we were much younger. Do you remember the first time you heard the sound of a match being struck and the smell of the sulfur as it billowed into a flickering light? Or the surprise you felt when you saw your mom turn the knob on the stove and the blue and yellow glow appeared? What about the first time you saw your dad or granddad flick a lighter and a flame popped out?
Pretty amazing stuff – especially to a toddler!
As you got older, were you one of those lucky kids who played with matches and suffered no consequences? Statistics prove that many, many other children haven’t been so fortunate. Fires can spread ridiculously fast, and one small mistake can be the last.
It’s true that curiosity about fire is natural, so we, as parents, need to be aware that matches left on the coffee table or candles left burning in the living room can cause all sorts of trouble if we’re not diligent.
Some things we need to do are:
• Put matches and lighters up out of our child or grandchild’s reach or keep them in the pocket of the clothing we’re wearing at the moment. Even better, lock them away! Children can be extremely resourceful – it wouldn’t be that hard to figure out a way to climb up on the counter to get their little fingers around that lighter!
• The Cinnamon Spice candle that makes our house smell so nice can leave little Timmy blistered, or cause his clothes to catch on fire if we’re not paying attention!
• If we can’t do it ourselves, we need to designate a responsible adult to keep at least one eye on the children at all times. We need to keep in mind that fire is only one possible danger kids can encounter before they get old enough to make wise decisions for themselves!
• Granted, the loud beeping of a smoke detector is annoying, but it may just be the only thing between our child and her painful burns or death! That sounds harsh, but it’s true. Our homes should have detectors in or near each bedroom, as well as throughout the entire space.
If we do our jobs right, our little Timmy’s and Tammy’s will grow up, safe and unscarred, with a healthy respect for the benefits and dangers of fire. It’s up to us!
Posted by Colleen C.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
2010 BCVFD Officers & Firefighters
Mary Ann Herzog - Fire Chief and Training Officer
Mark Ernst - Assistant Fire Chief
Aaron Render - Captain
Carter Morris - Lieutenant
Barry Lentz - Seasonal Firefighter
Mark Ernst - Assistant Fire Chief
Aaron Render - Captain
Carter Morris - Lieutenant
Barry Lentz - Seasonal Firefighter
Friday, March 5, 2010
Kitchen Fires
We live in the era of multi-tasking. Have you ever put something on the stove to cook and forgotten all about it until a nasty smell invades your senses or you’re brought up short by the incessant screeching of the smoke alarm? And let’s hope you never get so distracted that you put dinner on to cook and then leave the house!
When I was an 18-year-old newlywed who knew less than nothing about cooking, I experienced what’s called a DRY COOKING FIRE. That’s where the liquid in the pan boils out and scorches whatever you’re cooking. Luckily, these types of “fires” don’t usually cause a lot of damage other than the smoke leaving a residue and an unpleasant odor, but the heat may cause some damage to the surrounding cooking area. I was fortunate – all that happened was the pan was ruined, the apartment stunk to the high heavens for awhile, and my husband got to tease me by telling anyone who’d listen that, yes Virginia, you can burn boiled eggs!
If you experience an OVEN FIRE, it’s normally not too serious because they usually suffocate or can be easily extinguished.
GREASE FIRES, on the other hand, are a serious matter! These start when oil or greasy foods ignite, and the open flames can quickly reach the cabinets or combustibles, causing a major fire. If you can cover the pan with a lid, you may be able to suffocate the fire. Dousing the flames with baking soda may work as well. One thing you never want to do is put water on a grease fire … that will make it splatter and will increase the size of the blaze. Another thing you’ll never want to do is attempt to carry the burning pan outside; it will get too hot and you’ll probably drop it, which will spread the fire even further.
Here are some things you can do to avoid kitchen fires:
1) Make sure you’re not wearing loose-fitting or long-sleeved clothes that could inadvertently rake across the open flame. If you have long hair, pull it back away from your face and don’t use flammable hair products.
2) Keep potholders, boxes, plastic cooking utensils, etc. away from open flames, and place the pot handles so they’re not sticking out where anyone, including children, can bump them or tip them over.
3) Because it’s highly flammable, make sure to keep your cooking areas free of grease.
If you have the misfortune to experience any type of fire, get everyone out of the house as quickly as possible, close the door behind you, and call 9-1-1.
Posted by Colleen C.
When I was an 18-year-old newlywed who knew less than nothing about cooking, I experienced what’s called a DRY COOKING FIRE. That’s where the liquid in the pan boils out and scorches whatever you’re cooking. Luckily, these types of “fires” don’t usually cause a lot of damage other than the smoke leaving a residue and an unpleasant odor, but the heat may cause some damage to the surrounding cooking area. I was fortunate – all that happened was the pan was ruined, the apartment stunk to the high heavens for awhile, and my husband got to tease me by telling anyone who’d listen that, yes Virginia, you can burn boiled eggs!
If you experience an OVEN FIRE, it’s normally not too serious because they usually suffocate or can be easily extinguished.
GREASE FIRES, on the other hand, are a serious matter! These start when oil or greasy foods ignite, and the open flames can quickly reach the cabinets or combustibles, causing a major fire. If you can cover the pan with a lid, you may be able to suffocate the fire. Dousing the flames with baking soda may work as well. One thing you never want to do is put water on a grease fire … that will make it splatter and will increase the size of the blaze. Another thing you’ll never want to do is attempt to carry the burning pan outside; it will get too hot and you’ll probably drop it, which will spread the fire even further.
Here are some things you can do to avoid kitchen fires:
1) Make sure you’re not wearing loose-fitting or long-sleeved clothes that could inadvertently rake across the open flame. If you have long hair, pull it back away from your face and don’t use flammable hair products.
2) Keep potholders, boxes, plastic cooking utensils, etc. away from open flames, and place the pot handles so they’re not sticking out where anyone, including children, can bump them or tip them over.
3) Because it’s highly flammable, make sure to keep your cooking areas free of grease.
If you have the misfortune to experience any type of fire, get everyone out of the house as quickly as possible, close the door behind you, and call 9-1-1.
Posted by Colleen C.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Space Heater Safety Tips
It’s easy to turn a space heater on and forget about it for hours on end, but that can lead to big trouble … especially if you don’t remember to:
1) Put it on a flat surface where it can’t fall or get knocked over;
2) Leave a door open for good ventilation, and;
3) Put it at least three feet away from furniture, curtains, Christmas trees, or pets and their bedding.
(Because Fido wants to stay warm, too, that adorable little guy may drag his doggie blanket over to the heater and plop his furry bee-hind down as close to the warmth as he can, inadvertently blocking the air flow.)
If you decide to use a space heater, you’ll want to plug it directly into the outlet instead of using household extension cords because they can overheat and cause sparks. If that short cord attached to your heater just doesn’t allow you to get it where you need it, use a heavy duty extension cord marked with a power rating as high, or higher than, as what’s listed on your heater label. But remember that if any of your extension cords are frayed or have damaged cords, you should get rid of them – they’re a fire waiting to happen.
Ever had an electric shock? They're not exactly a high point in anyone's life. You’ll avoid them by keeping your heater (or any other electrical appliance, etc.) away from water or anywhere liquids can be spilled.
If you’ve acquired as many appliances and pieces of equipment as we have over the years, then you're aware that they all eventually break down. Well, space heaters are no exception to that aggravating rule, so that’s why you’ll want to make sure someone who is awake is in the room the entire time the heater is on and that they remember to shut it off if they’re the last one to leave.
Statistics show that space heaters need to be properly used and supervised to avoid property damage and death. We may feel that our belongings are irreplaceable, but they are nothing compared to the loss of a loved one.
Posted by Colleen C.
1) Put it on a flat surface where it can’t fall or get knocked over;
2) Leave a door open for good ventilation, and;
3) Put it at least three feet away from furniture, curtains, Christmas trees, or pets and their bedding.
(Because Fido wants to stay warm, too, that adorable little guy may drag his doggie blanket over to the heater and plop his furry bee-hind down as close to the warmth as he can, inadvertently blocking the air flow.)
If you decide to use a space heater, you’ll want to plug it directly into the outlet instead of using household extension cords because they can overheat and cause sparks. If that short cord attached to your heater just doesn’t allow you to get it where you need it, use a heavy duty extension cord marked with a power rating as high, or higher than, as what’s listed on your heater label. But remember that if any of your extension cords are frayed or have damaged cords, you should get rid of them – they’re a fire waiting to happen.
Ever had an electric shock? They're not exactly a high point in anyone's life. You’ll avoid them by keeping your heater (or any other electrical appliance, etc.) away from water or anywhere liquids can be spilled.
If you’ve acquired as many appliances and pieces of equipment as we have over the years, then you're aware that they all eventually break down. Well, space heaters are no exception to that aggravating rule, so that’s why you’ll want to make sure someone who is awake is in the room the entire time the heater is on and that they remember to shut it off if they’re the last one to leave.
Statistics show that space heaters need to be properly used and supervised to avoid property damage and death. We may feel that our belongings are irreplaceable, but they are nothing compared to the loss of a loved one.
Posted by Colleen C.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
An Ounce of Prevention
It seems there are pros and cons to everything, doesn’t it? My husband and I left the hustle and bustle of Southern California for the beauty and peacefulness of our mountain home, but living with so many magnificent trees has meant that the threat of fire is always in the backs of our minds. With being members of the Bon Carbo Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary, and with what I’ve learned since taking on the responsibilities of the Administrative Assistant for the Fire Department, we've become even more aware of the danger fires pose. Those facts have helped motivate me to do some research on the subject.
I found a great website (www.firewise.org) containing valuable information, so I thought I’d include some of it here to help you understand what you need to do to help protect yourselves and your property:
First you’ll want to make sure your roof covering is non-flammable, so you’ll need to use Class-A asphalt shingles, metal, or concrete products.
In order to prevent flying embers from igniting your home, it’s a good idea to sweep your roof and gutters once or twice a year to avoid a build-up of leaves and pine needles. You’ll also want to get rid of vegetation, dead leaves and other flammable debris from around and under your house.
You’ll want to make of point of both picking up branches, leaves, and pine needles regularly and remembering to keep your trees pruned so that the lowest branches are six to ten feet from the ground. Those trees and shrubs you love to see around your house ought to be well-spaced, watered, and properly pruned, too.
Since you don’t want fire making a bee line to your home or that nice workshop you convinced your wife you couldn’t live without, you’ll want to store your firewood away from the house and outbuildings (unless, of course, its in a woodshed!).
If you want to burn leaves, etc., make sure to call the Bon Carbo Volunteer Fire Department (Weds. or Thurs. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 846-2399) to see if a burning ban is in effect before you ignite anything outside. It gets mighty windy here in the Bon Carbo area, and it wouldn’t take much for sparks to wreak havoc. If no ban is in effect, Chief MaryAnn will contact you about issuing a burn permit.
Once you get the permit, you’ll want to use a common-sense approach to help stop the fire from getting out of control by first clearing combustible materials away from your burn site. It’s a good idea to stay by the fire with a hose or a nice big bucket of water ready in case of an emergency … no one wants to be responsible for property damage and possible loss of life!
If the unthinkable should happen, you’ll want emergency vehicles to get as close to your home as possible, so make sure you have enough clearance (at least thirty feet) around your house for the volunteer firefighters to gain access.
It’s vital that you and your loved ones know all emergency exits from your area and that you make a point of talking about how and when to use those exits if a wildfire is close.
And remember that if you’re away from home when a wildfire breaks out, do not return until the danger of fire has passed so you don’t obstruct emergency vehicles and firefighters.
The men and women of both the Bon Carbo and Spanish Peaks Volunteer Fire Departments and Auxiliaries want to wish you and yours a safe and happy 2010!
Posted by Colleen C.
I found a great website (www.firewise.org) containing valuable information, so I thought I’d include some of it here to help you understand what you need to do to help protect yourselves and your property:
First you’ll want to make sure your roof covering is non-flammable, so you’ll need to use Class-A asphalt shingles, metal, or concrete products.
In order to prevent flying embers from igniting your home, it’s a good idea to sweep your roof and gutters once or twice a year to avoid a build-up of leaves and pine needles. You’ll also want to get rid of vegetation, dead leaves and other flammable debris from around and under your house.
You’ll want to make of point of both picking up branches, leaves, and pine needles regularly and remembering to keep your trees pruned so that the lowest branches are six to ten feet from the ground. Those trees and shrubs you love to see around your house ought to be well-spaced, watered, and properly pruned, too.
Since you don’t want fire making a bee line to your home or that nice workshop you convinced your wife you couldn’t live without, you’ll want to store your firewood away from the house and outbuildings (unless, of course, its in a woodshed!).
If you want to burn leaves, etc., make sure to call the Bon Carbo Volunteer Fire Department (Weds. or Thurs. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 846-2399) to see if a burning ban is in effect before you ignite anything outside. It gets mighty windy here in the Bon Carbo area, and it wouldn’t take much for sparks to wreak havoc. If no ban is in effect, Chief MaryAnn will contact you about issuing a burn permit.
Once you get the permit, you’ll want to use a common-sense approach to help stop the fire from getting out of control by first clearing combustible materials away from your burn site. It’s a good idea to stay by the fire with a hose or a nice big bucket of water ready in case of an emergency … no one wants to be responsible for property damage and possible loss of life!
If the unthinkable should happen, you’ll want emergency vehicles to get as close to your home as possible, so make sure you have enough clearance (at least thirty feet) around your house for the volunteer firefighters to gain access.
It’s vital that you and your loved ones know all emergency exits from your area and that you make a point of talking about how and when to use those exits if a wildfire is close.
And remember that if you’re away from home when a wildfire breaks out, do not return until the danger of fire has passed so you don’t obstruct emergency vehicles and firefighters.
The men and women of both the Bon Carbo and Spanish Peaks Volunteer Fire Departments and Auxiliaries want to wish you and yours a safe and happy 2010!
Posted by Colleen C.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Generator Safety
As we begin the move from cold winter into warmer spring weather, which means wet, heavy snows and those Chinooks blowing away like mad, the Bon Carbo Volunteer Fire Department would like to remind you to be careful!
This time of year, we often experience power outages due to weather. While many are short or intermittent, we have in the past had some longer outages. With weather conditions impacting energy availability, many people are using portable generators to power their homes.
If your generator is not properly installed or operated, it can become deadly due to electrical shock and carbon monoxide fumes.
The BCVFD encourages you to contact a licensed electrician to install your generator to make sure it meets all local codes. Never connect a generator directly to your household wiring without using an appropriate transfer switch, and be sure to check State Law to see if you need to notify your utility service.
Did you know…
Keep children and pets away from portable generators, and do not overload the generator or extension cords.
REMEMBER ... electricity is a powerful tool that should be used with caution!
Posted by Keisha
This time of year, we often experience power outages due to weather. While many are short or intermittent, we have in the past had some longer outages. With weather conditions impacting energy availability, many people are using portable generators to power their homes.
If your generator is not properly installed or operated, it can become deadly due to electrical shock and carbon monoxide fumes.
The BCVFD encourages you to contact a licensed electrician to install your generator to make sure it meets all local codes. Never connect a generator directly to your household wiring without using an appropriate transfer switch, and be sure to check State Law to see if you need to notify your utility service.
Did you know…
- Power from generators connected directly to household wiring can backfeed along power lines and electrocute anyone coming in contact with them, including line workers making repairs?
- Generators can produce high levels of carbon monoxide (CO) very quickly?
- You should never operate your generator in an enclosed or partially-enclosed space such as your garage or covered porch?
- You should place your generator far away from any structure housing people or pets?
- You should use carbon monoxide detectors whenever you operate a generator?
- You need to turn off all appliances powered by the generator before shutting it down?
- You should use a ground fault circuit interrupter (GCFI) to help prevent electrocutions and electrical shock injuries?
Keep children and pets away from portable generators, and do not overload the generator or extension cords.
REMEMBER ... electricity is a powerful tool that should be used with caution!
Posted by Keisha
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)