The temperatures are cooling down which means we’re beginning to turn the heat up!
According to the National Fire Protection Association, heating equipment is the leading cause of U.S. home fires.
Johnstown Fire Chief Bob Statler shared some of the steps one can take to prevent a fire, but also how to react if you find yourself in that situation.
“When it starts getting cooler in the morning and damp, people will start turning their heat back up and furnaces will start working.”
Statler has been a firefighter in Johnstown for 26 years and says fires can happen any time of the year, however house fires are more common during the fall and winter seasons.
“Normally, we have the majority of our calls start as cooking fires and stuff like that.”
But Statler also says that heating equipment can cause more damage than one may think.
“When people are first starting their furnaces, if they weren’t maintained and checked during the summertime, we do occasionally get some fires due to issues with furnaces.”
Chief Statler encourages anyone and everyone to be prepared and to always have a fire escape plan.
It’s also important to keep your pet involved in your plan.
“Try to get your pets out, but again if you can’t get your pet out, don’t run back in. We’ll try to work on getting them out, but sometimes the pets beat their owners to the door, sometimes so you can take them out as you’re going.”
Statler says you should stay ahead of your smoke detectors and fire extinguishers by frequently checking on their batteries and expiration date.