Colder weather means more hazards for firefighters, residents
December through March are peak months for home fire deaths
December is considered one of the deadliest months when it comes to house fires.
Colder weather can create dangers as people try to stay warm and means more challenges for firefighters.
Battalion Fire Chief Frank Cook said he’s been a firefighter for nearly 30 years and each year the cold weather proves to be a problem.
“Obviously water is our principal agent for fighting fires, so once it drops below 32 degrees, that water is going to freeze,” Cook said.
Cook said in addition to the risk of firefighters slipping and falling, they have to continually run the water in the hoses so it won't freeze.
If it snows, that’s an added concern.
“It really slows down our response and then try to stretch or advance hose lines on ice or snow creates another hazard for us,” he said.
Typically additional crews are called in to help fight fires when the temperatures are dangerously low.
The types of calls are also changing with the dropping temperatures, as more families who find alternative means to keep their homes warm.
“Just a couple weeks ago, we had that situation here in the township where an individual had to many portable heaters on one circuit,” Cook said.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, space heaters account for one-third of home heating fires and four out of five home heating deaths.
Cook said he isn’t against portable heaters as long as people use them correctly.
Since December through March are the peak months for home fire deaths, Cook is asking everyone to make sure they have working smoke detectors with fresh batteries.