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A Penny For Your Thoughts

By Penny Gross; Mason District Supervisor; Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

Have you noticed the number of structure fires in our community recently? When a structure fire happens in Mason District, I usually get a notification call from the Fire and Rescue Department. It’s a sad call, because it means that someone has experienced a significant loss, and sometimes firefighters are injured, too. It seems that house fires are striking more neighborhoods, although the data shows that fires in Fairfax County are at about the same level as this time in previous years. Nonetheless, the holidays and the onset of very cold weather provide an opportunity to review safety tips and make this a happy holiday season.

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department offers the following tips for home safety:

Fireplace and wood stove chimneys should be inspected annually and cleaned, if necessary, to remove creosote, the flammable residue left behind by burning wood.

Let the ashes of your fireplace or wood stove cool completely before removing them. Do not discard ashes in flammable containers, even if they appear to be cold. Put the ashes in a metal container (such as a garbage can with a lid) and place the ashes away from the house and garage before disposing of them.

If you use kerosene or propane heaters as emergency heat, keep them upright on uncarpeted floors only. Never put them on a chair or table, and keep them away from furniture, blankets and other flammable objects. Shut the heater off before you go to bed or when you leave the house.

Emergency generators always should be operated outdoors only. Generators produce carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas that needs adequate ventilation to prevent the build-up of toxic, deadly fumes. Keep your generators outdoors and only plug in outdoor-rated extension cords rated for the specific generator.

Never leave candles unattended, and keep all combustible materials away from open flames. Place your candles in glass or ceramic containers on a flat, sturdy surface. Never leave candles burning when children or pets are present.

Additional information about fire safety and preparing for weather emergencies is available online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency or www.fairfaxcounty.gov.fire, or by calling the Fire and Rescue Department’s Public Information and Life Safety Education section at 703/246-3801. In any fire emergency, of course, call 911.

Keep the fires in the fireplace, the generator outdoors, the candles away from drafts and flammable materials, and have a safe, warm, wonderful holiday season with family and friends. Supervisor Penny Gross may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov

Supervisor Penny Gross may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov

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