Make Fire Safety a Priority This Fall | SERVPRO® of Hershey/Swatara

9/17/2021 (Permalink)

Be mindful about fall fire safety. Always remember that SERVPRO of Hershey/Swatara is the trusted leader in the restoration industry.

The Eagles are back on the field, the morning and evening air is nice and crisp and suddenly everything is pumpkin-scented. That can only mean one thing—fall is back.

The season of roaring campfires, Halloween parties and beautiful leaf-peeping is here to relieve you from summer and give you a reason to break out your favorite hoodie.

But of course each season requires special care with regard to fire safety, and fall is no different. Keep your fall fire-safe with these quick reminders.

Campfire Safety

Cool fall nights are perfect for camping, and we say make the most of it. But when you’re setting up your fire, make sure to take proper precautions.

Build your fire in a pre-dug pit surrounded by stones if there is one provided by the campsite. If not, keep it at least 25 feet away from any tents or structures. Only light your fire with trusted methods like matches or lighters, never using kerosene or lighter fluid to light or accelerate the flames.

When it’s time to go, don’t leave anything hot or glowing. Any live embers you leave behind are potential wildfire threats. Don’t walk away from your campfire until all remaining wood and ash are cool to the touch.

Open Burning

Most of Hershey/Swatara restricts the burning of leaves, but much of the county approves open recreational burning (fire pits or bonfires) or even burning of some household paper items. Check with your local municipality to find out what’s allowed in your area.

If your township allows open burning, it’s likely you are required to use a burn barrel with a screen on top. Keep your fires at least 30 feet (50 is recommended) from any structures, and never leave a fire to burn unattended.

Space Heaters

Portable space heaters are frequent culprits of cold-weather home fires. If you’re breaking yours out of storage this fall, make sure you keep it at least three feet from anything at all that could catch fire—this includes curtains, furniture and clothing.

Keep your heater on a level surface, update to a newer model with automatic shutoff and tip-over functions if necessary, and only plug it directly into an outlet (as its electrical draw can overwhelm some extension cords).

Halloween

We’ll dig further into this later, but for now be mindful of your decorating, especially if you like to use candles or string lights, which can both present fire hazards.

If a fire hazard should turn from potential to reality in your home, remember the trusted leader in the recovery industry and contact SERVPRO to get your property fully restored right down to the smell of smoke.