Firefighters Offer Fall Heating Safety Tips After Minor Incident at Olean Road Home

Find 10 points to consider as you fire up your furnace or wood-burning stove this fall

Photo via Friendship Volunteer Fire Department.

(Friendship, Ind.) - Friendship Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a home Thursday night in the 3800 block on Olean Road. 

The initial dispatch reported smoke filling a house. Upon arrival, the smoke had dissipated, but firefighters found the cause was a blower motor that failed on a residential furnace. 

No injuries or damage was reported. 

"This is a great opportunity to remind us all to do some checking of our heating systems before the cold sets in," reads a statement from Friendship Volunteer Fire Department. 

Here are 10 points for you to consider as you fire up your furnace or wood-burning stove this fall:

1. 1. Schedule a furnace inspection. Have a qualified professional service your heating system before cold weather arrives.
2. 2. Check your chimney. Have your chimney and stovepipe professionally inspected and cleaned to remove creosote and obstructions.
3. 3. Give heating equipment room. Keep furniture, curtains, boxes, firewood, and other combustible materials at least 3 feet away. Follow any greater clearances required by the manufacturer.
4. 4. Check the furnace filter. Clean or replace it according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and keep air registers and returns clear.
5. 5. Inspect outside vents. Make sure furnace exhaust and air-intake openings are free of leaves, nests, and other debris.
6. 6. Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Make sure everyone can hear them, and replace batteries or expired alarms as needed.
7. 7. Burn the right fuel. Use dry, seasoned firewood in wood stoves. Never burn trash, treated lumber, or use gasoline or other flammable liquids to start a fire.
8. 8. Keep children and pets back. Establish a 3-foot safety zone around your wood stove, and remember that surfaces remain hot after the fire dies down.
9. 9. Handle ashes carefully. Place ashes in a metal container with a tight-fitting lid. Store it outside, at least 10 feet from buildings, away from anything that can burn—never in a cardboard box or plastic trash can.
10. 10. Take warning signs seriously. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, get everyone outside immediately, call 911, and stay out until emergency responders say it is safe to return