The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Fire prevention season begs caution
The inevitable winter house fire season is upon us.
Preventing fires, especially at this time of year, is important, but accidents happen.
When a fire destroys lives and property, the emotional and financial loss can be devastating.
Four people have died locally this year as a result of residential fires recently within the Lorain, Erie and Huron County region, according to Lora Taylor, program manager of the American Red Cross.
With the onset of winter, local fire firefighters encourage residents to prepare and use prevention methods as they heat their houses and businesses.
“It’s our busy time of year,” said Lorain Fire Department Lt. Ben Weber, who works in the city’s fire prevention division.
“Most home fires and fire casualties resulted from one of five causes: cooking; heating equipment; electrical distribution and lighting equipment; intentional fire setting; and smoking materials,” according to a study published on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) website.
The data was collected from 2015-19.
“The NFPA is a global self-funded nonprofit organization, established in 1896, devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards,” the website also stated.
Fire prevention and securing insurance to protect your property is a necessity, officials said.
Weber, who fought fires for 25 years before moving over to the prevention division, said on average, at least a handful of fires happen every year due to residential heating issues.
“We stay busy,” he said. “It always seems to happen right before Christmas, and it’s always heartbreaking.
“The damage done psychologically to someone who’s lost someone or everything they have, is heartbreaking.”
The top three causes of fires that Huron firefighter M. Clavette said he has seen in his 12 years fighting blazes, include faulty electrical wiring or appliances, unattended cooking and human error.
Keeping your home clutter
free and clean also is an important factor of fire prevention, Clavette said.
Firefighters run into “hoarding” situations frequently which makes fighting fires much more difficult, he said.
Overuse and improper use of electrical cords also is a leading cause of house fires, especially when used on appliances such as space heaters, the fire officials said.
The rule of thumb is to
keep all clutter at least 3 feet away from any space heaters or water heaters, Weber said.
“That’s a very dangerous situation for homeowners and the fire services,” Lesch said.
Fire officials are encouraging residents to sleep with their bedroom door closed to help contain a fire should one break out in the home, Weber said.
“Close before you doze,” he said.
Fire officials also agree that renter’s insurance is a necessity to avoid unnecessary troubles during a crisis, such as a fire.
“So many times, in the city of Lorain, I see the same situation play out,” Weber said. “The very people that need it the most, are often unaware that it exists.
“Renters insurance is only about $10 a month and protects both renters and landlords.”
Sandusky City Fire Capt. Matt Lesch agrees with residents buying renter’s insurance.
“It’s kind of something people need to have,” Lesch said.
Not only do most renter’s insurance companies offer replacement of personal possessions but also funds to obtain housing should the rental unit become damaged.
The Lorain Fire Department also offers inspection
of heating devices to commercial companies upon request and is partnered with the American Red Cross to provide citizens with smoke detectors, Weber said.