Chesterfield Fire and EMS issue inside fire safety tips after string of blazes
VENN
CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WRIC) — Following a string of house fires in the city of Richmond and Chesterfield County over the past several weeks, local fire officials are sounding the alarm on home safety.
Officials said that while every scene is different, many of these tragedies can be prevented by making small changes in how you cook and heat your home.
RELATED: One detained after ‘suspicious fire’ in Chesterfield County
According to Captain Joe Harvey, a Deputy Fire Marshal with Chesterfield Fire and EMS, cooking-related incidents remain the number one cause of fires in the county.
The most common culprit? Distraction.
“Somebody gets a phone call, somebody comes to the door and the next thing you know, they're distracted,” Harvey said. “Before you know it, there's a fire in the kitchen and it's spread to the cabinets.”
(Photo credit: Madison Moore, 8 News)
Firefighters are urging residents to follow the "Golden Rule": Stand by your pan. Never leave the kitchen while the stove is on, and always ensure pan handles are turned inward to prevent accidental spills.
If a small fire does break out in a pot or pan, Harvey said you should slide a lid over the pot to smother the flames and turn off the heat, or if you don’t have a lid, a cookie sheet can serve the same purpose. Slide it over the top of the pan to extinguish the fire, Harvey recommends.
As temperatures drop, many residents are turning to space heaters. However, Harvey warns that plugging these units into an extension cord or power strip is a major fire risk. Always plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet.
“Oftentimes, those heaters pull way more power than the extension cords are rated for,” Harvey explained. “We see that not necessarily the space heater caused the fire, but the extension cord failed because it had too much power being drawn through it.”
RELATED: Winter heating safety tips from Chesterfield Fire and EMS
Beyond the kitchen and heating units, officials say your single most important tool is a working smoke alarm.
Current safety standards recommend having at least one alarm on every level of your home, though newer building codes now require them in every bedroom.
