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.

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.

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…

• 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