Home » News » Local News » Santa Clarita Winter Weather Fire Tips To Prevent Accidental Fires In The Home
A firefighter during the Woolesy fire
Photo Courtesy Of LACoFD, Douglas Morrison

Santa Clarita Winter Weather Fire Tips To Prevent Accidental Fires In The Home

Winter is the time of year when most structure fires are caused by heat sources nationwide, so officials are offering fire prevention tips to help Santa Clarita residents prevent the loss of their homes.


Sponsored Articles


Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking KHTS Santa Clarita News Alerts delivered right to your inbox.

From 2013-2015, an average of 45,900 home heating fires occurred in the United States each year, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  

These fires caused an annual average of approximately 205 deaths, 725 injuries and $506 million in property loss, according to FEMA.

“Three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms,” according to a Los Angeles County Fire Department news release.

Heating was the second leading cause of home fires throughout the United States, after cooking.

Heating equipment was involved in one of every five home fire deaths throughout the nation, the news release said.

Statistics show that home heating fires peaked in the early evening hours between 5 and 9 p.m., with the highest peak between 6 and 8 p.m., officials said.  

“This four-hour period accounted for 29 percent of all home heating fires,” FEMA officials said. “Home heating fires peaked in January — 21 percent — and declined to the lowest point from June to August.”

A total of 29 percent of the nonconfined home heating fires — fires that spread past the object of origin; for instance, a space heater — could have been prevented, according to officials.

These fires start because things like space heaters or fireplaces were too close to objects in homes that could easily ignite.

Even though space heaters are more commonly used in the midwest and east coast, it is important to know how to use them properly in Santa Clarita, according to officials.  

“Space heaters, give it space,” said Joey Marron, an inspector for the LA County Fire Department. “When using space heaters, make sure there are three feet around the heater.”       

For Santa Clarita residents who may experience their house catching fire, the LACoFD has a few tips to help prevent major injury.

Report a typo or error, email Corrections@hometownstation.com

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

KHTS FM 98.1 & AM 1220 - Santa Clarita News - Santa Clarita Radio

Santa Clarita Winter Weather Fire Tips To Prevent Accidental Fires In The Home

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Louie Diaz

Louie was born and raised in Santa Clarita. At the age of two Louie lost his vision due to a brain tumor. However, Louie doesn't let blindness stop him from doing what ever it is he wants to accomplish. Growing up some of his favorite hobbies were wood working, fishing and riding bikes. Louie graduated from College of the Canyon in December of 2017, with a Broadcast Journalism degree. Growing up Louie has always wanted to be a fire fighter or a police officer, but because of his blindness Louie knew that wouldn't work. Louie has always loved listening to police and fire radio traffic, using a scanner, and he figured if he was going to listen to the scanner so much, he should do something with it.