Winter is coming soon and while portable heating appliances and fireplaces make life comfortable, they're also a major cause of home fires and other problems. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department hopes you will keep in mind the following safety concerns:

• Portable heaters should be Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listed, and should shut-off automatically if tipped over.
• Heaters should be kept in good condition with serviceable wires and dust free.
• Small children should never be left unattended in the same room with a portable heater, even for a minute.
• Keep all combustible items, including newspapers, bed linens, furniture, and draperies at least three feet away.
• Any heating appliance should be plugged directly into a wall outlet—not into an extension cord.
• Fireplaces should have a sturdy screen across the front to prevent embers from flying or logs from rolling out.
• A spark arrestor across the top of a chimney will prevent sparks from igniting your roof or your neighbors.
• Combustible items, including extra firewood, should be kept at least three feet from the fireplace opening.
• Never use gasoline, kerosene, or any other type of flammable liquid to start a fireplace fire.
• When clearing ashes from the fireplace, be sure to put them into a metal container with a lid—never into a cardboard box or paper bag. Embers are capable of smoldering for days with disastrous results.
• The chimney should be checked by a qualified professional at least once a year—more if it's used frequently.

Anytime we add any type of heat to our homes, the risk of uncontrolled fire increases. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department hopes you'll keep that in mind when using these types of heat sources.###

For more information, call Daniel L. Schmidt or Lieutenant Raul G. Castillo, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, 703-246-3801 and TTY 703-385-4419. Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities. Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request.