As cold snap ends, be ready for the next one

The first cold snap of the season has been relatively uneventful for firefighters in the Tri-City area. And that’s how Morgan City Assistant Fire Chief of Prevention Jesse Ratcliff and Amelia Fire Chief Carl McAllister want to keep it.

“I don’t want to jinx us,” Ratcliff said, “but it’s quiet and hopefully, it will stay that way.”

A false fire alarm occurred Monday at an Amelia business.

“The smoke detector malfunctioned at the business location,” McAllister said. “The detector tripped the system.”

So the first order of business to ensure fire safety is make sure your smoke detectors are working and are in good operation, Ratcliff and McAllister said. There is a test button located on most detectors.

“You should’ve done that in October during Fire Prevention Week,” McAllister said. “But it never hurts to check that once a month. That’s what I usually do with mine. I check mine once a month to make sure it’s operational.”

The biggest cause of fires this time of year is space heaters, Ratcliff said.

Space heaters — you need space around them. Keep them away from curtains, furniture or anything flammable.

Don’t use an extension cord on a space heater. Most cords can’t handle the power heaters draw.

Make sure home furnaces are in good operating condition. If a furnace needs to be serviced, make sure it gets serviced by a qualified technician.

During the Christmas season, people tend to decorate live or artificial Christmas trees. If a tree is live, then keep it watered.

Christmas light sets should be in good working condition. Make sure wires are not frayed or exposed.

Those with fireplaces should stick to burning wood logs or fire logs.

“I don’t know if people use fireplaces down here for heating much,” Ratcliff said. “Most of the homes have a heating system. But if you do use a fireplace, make sure you don’t burn paper in it because the ashes go all over the place.”

Don’t discard hot ashes inside or near the home.

And if you are using a fireplace, keep the chimney clean and remove the carbon. Check to make sure the flue — which carries smoke and exhaust gases from the fireplace — works.

Before going to bed, put out the fire completely and keep flammable materials away from it.

“Never close your damper with hot ashes in the fireplace,” Ratcliff said. “When you close the damper, it’ll actually heat up again, and it could force carbon monoxide into the house.”

Also, if you have a carbon monoxide detector, check to see if it’s working properly. If you don’t have the detector, consider purchasing one.

Gas stoves don’t make good heaters.

“Some people use gas stoves for heating, which is not really a very good idea,” Ratcliff said. “When it doesn’t burn all the way, it produces carbon monoxide.”

If temperatures get cold enough here to freeze waterlines, do not use a torch or any other type of open flame to thaw the waterlines.

Let them thaw out on their own, McAllister said.

Lastly, have an escape plan in case of a fire emergency.

“Always know two or more ways to get out of your house, if your home catches on fire,” Ratcliff said.

If anyone has questions regarding fire safety, contact any of the local fire stations:

Amelia Fire Department: 985-631-2883.

Bayou Vista Fire Department: 985-395-6250.

Berwick Fire Department: 985-385-1646.

Morgan City Fire Department: 985-380-4611.

Patterson Fire Department: 985-395-8312.