Heating equipment is the leading cause of home fire deaths in the United States!
The Gastonia Fire Department recommends the following guidelines to keep you and your loved ones safe while heating residential homes:
-If you see or smell smoke, get out of the house and dial 911.
-If you smell gas, leave the home immediately and dial 911.
-Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
-Never use your oven to heat your home.
-Make sure to turn portable heaters off when leaving rooms.
-Have a working smoke detector in all rooms.
-If you use a wood stove for heating, make sure to only burn wood in it.
-All fuel-burning equipment should vent to the outside to avoid CO (carbon monoxide) poisoning.
-Have a qualified professional install all heating equipment in residential homes.
-Have a working CO (carbon monoxide) alarm installed on each floor of your home.
If citizens have any questions, they can call any of our 8 fire stations or the Fire Marshal's Office at 704-866-6807.