Winter Safety Tips from the Bellevue Fire Department

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Public Service Announcement provided by the Bellevue Fire Department

With the winter months upon us, we would like to provide some winter safety tips to ensure everyone is safe during winter and year-round.

If you use a space heater in your home, garage, sun room, etc., please be mindful of the following. 

1. Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from the heater. 
2. Make sure the heater has an automatic shut-off, so if it tips over it will shut off. 
3. Turn the heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room they are in. 
4. Plug the heaters directly into a wall outlet.  Do not plug them into an extension cord or power strip. 
5. If the cords are damaged, please do not plug them in.

If you have a fireplace, please keep a glass or metal screen in front of it and closed to prevent any embers from jumping out.  Don’t burn paper in your fireplace.  Please put the fire out before you go to bed or leave the house.  When you clean out the fireplace, put the ashes in a metal container with a lid, outside of the house at least 3 feet from the home.  Finally, please have your chimney inspected and cleaned annually by a professional.

If you have a wood stove, make sure the wood stove is 3 feet from anything that can burn.  Don’t burn paper in your wood stove.  Like your fireplace, put the fire out before you go to bed or leave your home.  Like your fireplace, have the chimney inspected and cleaned annually by a professional.

For your furnace, please have it inspected annually to ensure it is working properly and efficiently.  Also, keep anything that can burn away from your furnace.  If you use a kerosene heater, please make sure it has an automatic shut-off and only refuel it outside after it has cooled off.

Please do not use your cooking stove to heat your home or dry your clothes.  This is very dangerous.  Please ensure your smoke detectors are in working order and install a carbon monoxide detector.  If you cannot afford one, the Bellevue Fire Department can provide one free of charge.  Please contact our Fire Prevention/Public Safety Officer at the address/phone number below.

When it comes to winter driving, before it snows, please check your tire tread to make sure your tires are adequate for the snow.  When you are driving in the snow and ice, please decrease your speed and remember to allow more time to stop.

We want everyone to have a safe and happy holiday and winter season.  Please follow the above tips and if you have any questions you can reach out to our Fire Prevention Officer, Brian Koontz at 402-917-2533 or [email protected]