Each year in the United States 240,000 home fires occur during the winter months. The following tips will help you and your family stay warm and safe this winter.

• Have a qualified serviceman check and clean your furnace.
• Be sure that papers, trash, paint and other flammable materials are kept away from the furnace.
• Make sure that the fireplace opening is covered with a sturdy metal screen or heat tempered glass doors.
• NEVER leave a fire unattended and ALWAYS use a metal container for ashes.
• Have your chimney cleaned and checked for any problems before and after each heating season.
• Make sure that portable heaters shut off automatically if they are accidentally tipped over and never leave small children unattended in rooms with portable heaters.
• Install smoke detectors on every level of your home, test them monthly and replace batteries yearly.
• Establish a fire escape plan with at least two means of exit from every room.

For additional safety advice call the Department of Public Safety at 803-279-2121.