Home Heating Safety

PRESS RELEASE

 

For Immediate Release: October 25, 2010

 

From the Office of Interim Chief Mark Finucane

 

Contact: Acting Operations Assistant Chief Jason Powell

     423.975.2844 (o)

     423.483.5819 (c)

________________________________________________________________

HOME HEATING SAFETY

 

Check your Wall Heater Setting

 

In January of this year the Johnson City Fire Department ran a call to a residence where a sofa had been placed in front of a wall heater. This type of heater had a thermostat labeled as "High", "Med", "Low", and "No Heat". Even though the thermostat on the heater was in the "No Heat" position, the heater still came on. This was possibly due to the fact that the heater was on an exterior wall and the colder outside temperatures. Some wall heaters are never in the "Off" mode. Many wall heaters have only "High", "Med", and "Low" settings, thus they are never in "Off" mode either.

 

It is easy to place combustibles in front of these heaters during the warmer months and forget about the consequences until the colder months arrive. Fire codes require that no combustibles be closer than 3 feet of a heater of any type. While only 32 percent of home heating fires involve space heaters, they are involved in 79 percent of home heating fire deaths, according to the report Home Fires Involving Heating Equipment released by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Heating equipment continues to be the second leading cause of home fires behind cooking and the second leading cause of home fire deaths behind smoking.

The Johnson City Fire Department and the NFPA is urging caution and asking the public to practice safe heating behaviors as the peak time for home heating fires continues from October through March. Half of all home heating fires occurred in December, January and February in 2003-2007.

“Half of fatal home space heater fires started because something was too close to the heater and ignited. Keep heaters and things that can burn at least three feet apart,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of communications. “Heating fires and the deaths they cause can usually be prevented with awareness and a few simple actions.”

The leading factor contributing to space heater fires in general was heating equipment too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattress, or bedding. Other leading factors contributing to home space heater fires were failure to clean, which is principally related to creosote build-up in chimneys, and leaving an operating space heater unattended.

“Whether your chimney supports a wood or coal stove or just a fireplace, be sure to have it cleaned and inspected at least once a year to reduce your risk of having a fire,” added Carli. “And always turn off a portable space heater when you go to sleep or leave the room.”

In 2007, U.S. fire departments responded to 66,400 home structure fires that involved heating equipment. These fires killed 580 people, injured another 1,850, and were responsible for $608 million in direct property damage

Safety tips  

• 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.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
• Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
• Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
• Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
• Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
• Test smoke alarms monthly.

 

Structure fire at 202 Heather View Drive Johnson City TN 11 Sept 10

Four Engines, one Ladder, one rehab unit, and three command units from the Johnson City Fire Department, one Engine from the Jonesborough Fire Department from automatic mutual aid, units from the Johnson City Police Department, and crews from the Washington County/EMS agency responded to a structure fire at 202 Heatherview Drive on 11 Sept 10. The alarm was received at 21:12:56 and the first Engine arrived at 21:19:00 to find flames coming through the roof. The fire quickly advanced through the roof structure causing imminent roof collapse. Defensive emergency operations commenced with the application of an elevated fire stream from the Ladder apparatus. Two exposure occupancies were protected from fire extension. The homeowners were not at home at the time of the fire. There were no reported injuries to responders. A Johnson City Fire Department Fire Marshal was dispatched to the scene for investigative purposes. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

 

Contact Information:

Lt. Jerome Palmer

423-483-5830

japalmer@johnsoncitytn.org

Harrison Village

The Johnson City Fire Dept. responded to a called in fire alarm at Harrison Village on Lamons Lane. Upon arrival, crews discovered a cooking fire had set-off a sprinkler head in a second floor apartment. The sprinkler extinguished the fire, but the structure suffered water damage in three apartments before water was shut off to the sprinkler system. Crews worked diligently to keep water damage to a minimum, by covering furniture and making water chutes in the first floor hallway to carry the water outside. There were no injuries.

Residential Structure Fire at 2107 Barnett Dr.

The Johnson City Fire Department responded to a residential structure fire at 2107 Barnett Drive on 2 Sept 10.  The alarm was received at 11:28:56, and the first engine arrived on scene at 11:34:08. First arriving crews found flames coming from the front of the residence. The homeowners were able to escape the premises without injury prior to arrival of fire department units. There were no injuries at the incident. Two engines, a manpower unit, a ladder truck, a command vehicle, the rehab unit, Washington County/Johnson City EMS, and the Johnson City Police Department responded to the incident. Units cleared the scene at 02:25:16. The cause of the fire was accidental as the fire began in the kitchen area. The occupants were provided assistance by the Johnson City Fire Department’s Chaplain Division and the American Red Cross.

 

Contact Information:

Lt. Jerome Palmer

japalmer@johnsoncitytn.org

423-975-2840

Apartment Fire 213 E. Unaka Ave. Johnson City Tn 37601

 

 

#### NEWS RELEASE ####

 

For Immediate Release

08/26/2010

Johnson City Apartment Fire

 

On August 26^th at 12:32 a.m. the Johnson City Fire Department responded to an apartment fire at 213 E. Unaka Avenue. The structure was a three story, wood frame residence that had been converted into a seven unit apartment. The first unit arrived on the scene within three minutes and found flames visible from the right side of the dwelling’s second and third floors. Occupants were alerted to the fire by smoke detectors that had been placed throughout the building. Personnel from the Johnson City Police Department, under the command of Lt. Brian Rice, were assisting in the evacuation of occupants from the building. A second alarm was called bringing a total of four engines, one command unit, one rehab unit, one ladder truck and one rescue unit. There were a total of 16 fire department personnel that responded. In addition, Washington/Johnson City EMS dispatched one rescue unit, one ambulance, and a shift commander unit.

 

                The first arriving fire companies were able to contain the spread of the fire with an aggressive interior attack in a second floor unit.  The structure was built using balloon frame construction which has the exterior walls assembled with wood studs that are continuous from basement to the roof. There are open channels between each pair of studs that extends to the attic. Each of these channels provides a path that enables a fire to spread unrestricted and without being visible. Incident Commander, Captain Stanley Daniels said that “the firefighters did an excellent job in anticipating that fire might extend through these voids by opening them up and extinguishing the fire and preventing rapid vertical extension”.  Captain Daniels went on to say “this is a good time to remind everyone that all residences should have working smoke alarms because they save lives”.   

 

Three apartments and the attic suffered direct flame and heat damage. Four apartments suffered smoke and water damage. Twelve occupants were affected by the fire. The American Red Cross responded to the scene and assisted the victims. There were no reports of any injuries to occupants or responders.  Origin and cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Johnson City Fire Marshal’s Office. 

 

 

Stanley Elie Daniels, Captain

Johnson City Fire Department

sedaniels@johnsoncitytn.org

423-483-5828 or 423-975-2840

 

Recall: Apartment Fire 213 E. Unaka Ave. Johnson City TN 37601

Daniels, Elie would like to recall the message, "Apartment Fire 213 E. Unaka Ave. Johnson City TN 37601".

Apartment Fire 213 E. Unaka Ave. Johnson City TN 37601

 

#### NEWS RELEASE ####

For Immediate Release

08/26/2010

Johnson City Apartment Fire

 

On August 26^th at 12:32 a.m. the Johnson City Fire Department responded to an apartment fire at 213 E. Unaka Avenue. The structure was a three story, wood frame residence that had been converted into a seven unit apartment. The first unit arrived on the scene within three minutes and found flames visible from the right side of the dwelling’s second and third floors. Occupants were alerted to the fire by smoke detectors that had been placed throughout the building. Personnel from the Johnson City Police Department, under the command of Lt. Brian Rice, were assisting in the evacuation of occupants from the building. A second alarm was called bringing a total of four engines, one command unit, one rehab unit, one ladder truck and one rescue unit. There were a total of 16 fire department personnel that responded. In addition, Washington/Johnson City EMS dispatched one rescue unit, one ambulance, and a shift commander unit.

 

                The first arriving fire companies were able to contain the spread of the fire with an aggressive interior attack in a second floor unit.  The structure was built using balloon frame construction which has the exterior walls assembled with wood studs that are continuous from basement to the roof. There are open channels between each pair of studs that extends to the attic. Each of these channels provides a path that enables a fire to spread unrestricted and without being visible. Incident Commander, Captain Stanley Daniels said that “the firefighters did an excellent job in anticipating that fire might extend through these voids by opening them up and extinguishing the fire and preventing rapid vertical extension”.  Captain Daniels went on to say “this is a good time to remind everyone that all residences should have working smoke alarms because they save lives”.   

 

Three apartments and the attic suffered direct flame and heat damage. Four apartments suffered smoke and water damage. Twelve occupants were affected by the fire. The American Red Cross responded to the scene and assisted the victims. There were no reports of any injuries to occupants or responders.  Origin and cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Johnson City Fire Marshal’s Office. 

 

 

a humble city employee

 

Stanley Elie Daniels, Captain

Johnson City Fire Department

sedaniels@johnsoncitytn.org

423-483-5828 or 423-975-2840