OKC Fire Captain Promotes Ways To Prevent House Fires

As people heat their homes this winter the chances of sparking a fire increase.

Oklahoma City Fire Captain John Chenoweth joined News 9 to talk about ways to prevent house fires and keep your home safe.

Chenoweth: Well, everyone wants to warm their house up in cold weather. So people are using their fireplaces, and more people using their furnaces more and out come the space heaters.

So simple rule for space heaters is that space heaters need space. So, keep three feet between the space heater and other items within your home. Space heaters, they get hot, and they can catch the couch on fire or your curtains on fire, or lay anything on it.

Candles too, can be a problem. Now it's the holiday season and everyone wants to be festive and some people bring out candles. Just make sure that if you leave the room you blow them out. If you leave the house or go to bed just blow them out. Same with space heaters. If you go to bed, Turn the space heaters off.

When it comes to fireplaces, especially wood-burning, make sure the screen is in front. Make sure it has a glass screen. Just make sure that no embers fall out and catch on fire. And then the same rule with candles and space heaters if you are going to leave the house or go to bed, turn the fireplace off.

As always make sure you have a working smoke detector and if you do not have one, the Oklahoma City Fire Department provides free detectors. Call 405-316-BEEP (2337) or CLICK HERE