Cold, snow add to home fire risk

Following a week during which fatal fires devastated families in Aurora and Des Plaines, fire safety experts warn that ensuring homes have smoke detectors is one of the most important safety measures people can take.

A working smoke detector should be installed on every level of the home, said Aurora Fire Department Battalion Chief Jim Rhodes.

Rhodes recalled the Jan. 25 fire that claimed the life of a 39-year-old mother whose three children escaped the blaze with their father. "We found there were no working smoke detectors," Rhodes said. "Did that play a role? Based on our experience, yes."

Rhodes recommends residents test battery-operated smoke detectors monthly and replace the batteries twice yearly, using the shift to and from daylight saving time as a reminder.

Des Plaines Division Chief of Fire Prevention David Schuman recommends installing a smoke detector in each bedroom and outside the sleeping area. He also advises installing a carbon monoxide detector within 15 feet of the sleeping area.

Household fires, like the one that engulfed a Buffalo Grove home's attic on Monday, occur more frequently during winter, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

The cause of that fire is still under investigation, according to authorities.

Heating is the second leading cause of U.S. home fires and home fire injuries and third leading cause of home fire deaths, the NFPA reports. Forty-four percent of home heating equipment fires involve space heaters, according to the NFPA. A preliminary investigation into the Jan. 27 Des Plaines fire that killed four young sisters and their mother suggests the cause might have been a space heater.

"Give space heaters space," said Schuman, who recommends locating space heaters at least three feet from anything combustible.

"Be mindful of children and pets" that could tip the heater, he said, and shut off space heaters when no one's home. He also advises people not to use an oven to heat the home and not to overload power strips.

Patio heaters, like those restaurant owners used for outdoor dining, should not be indoors or under tents.

"We recommend that any heating element that's going to be indoors or outside under a tent be electric and that users follow manufacturer's recommendations for the unit," he said. Moreover, "nothing that's meant for outdoor use should be brought inside your garage."

He recommends people living together devise an escape route that includes alternatives to use if exits are blocked. Arrange for a place to meet outside, he said, and then "practice, practice, practice."