The temperature tonight (Monday, December 18, 2023) on the plateau is expected in the upper teens with a wind chill of at or below zero

Ahead of celebrating traditional winter holidays such as Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) is advising all homeowners to take some simple steps today to help ensure they stay warm and safe all season long.

During winter (which officially begins this Thursday, December 21, 2023), statistics show that fire deaths increase by 86 percent. While smoking is the leading known cause of residential fire deaths, cooking accounts for more than 25 percent of residential structure fires in Tennessee and almost 40 percent in the U.S. Separately, medical oxygen is a component of more than 10 percent of fire deaths in Tennessee over the last 10 years.

A homeowner’s first line of defense against home fires in any season is working smoke alarms.

In addition to installing working smoke alarms this winter, homeowners can follow these simple fire safety tips, including:

• Keep flammable items like blankets, rugs, or furniture at least three feet away from space heaters and wood stoves.
• Never place your Christmas tree near heating equipment, fireplaces, candles, or other sources of heat. Always keep your Christmas tree watered to prevent the tree from drying out.
• Practice a home fire escape plan with your family. Everyone should know two ways out of each room.
• Always turn portable heaters off when leaving a room or going to bed.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Have heating equipment and chimneys inspected every year.
• Burn only dry, seasoned wood in fireplaces and wood stoves. Never burn garbage or use flammable liquids to start a fire.
• Make sure any fireplace has a sturdy screen to reduce the risk of flying sparks.
• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
• Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month.
• Install wood-burning stoves following the manufacturer’s instructions or have a professional perform the installation. All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
• If you smell gas coming from your gas heater, do not light the appliance. Leave the home immediately and call your local fire department or gas company.