House fire prompts OKCFD to give tips ahead of winter
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — A recent string of house fires in Oklahoma City has led the Oklahoma City Fire Department to give tips about keeping yourself warm and safe during the cooler months.
OKCFD says this is the time of year they see house fires start to pick up, mostly because people are trying to stay warm inside their homes.
There are ways to do so safely and OKCFD want to emphasize them.
"We responded to house fire a couple days ago; a person had an overloaded outlet," Scott Douglas with OKCFD said. "Unfortunately, it caused significant fire damage to her home."
Oklahoma ranks among the top states for most house fires since 2018.
Douglas says they respond to the majority in the Oklahoma City area during January and February.
"Cooler temperatures, we always see an increase in fires," Douglas said.
There are many different ways to stay warm as temperatures drop but if you aren't careful, Douglas says they can lead to a house fire.
"One of the causes of the fires is some chimney fires," Douglas said. "Please be aware of overloading your electrical outlets and also the use of extension cords."
Space heaters are also heavily used.
"We want a three foot clearance around anything that might catch on fire, away from bedding, furniture or any of that," Douglas said.
While he understands you want to stay warm throughout the night, it is very dangerous to leave it running.
"It's a bad idea," Douglas said. "We see covers kicked off, pillows kicked off and starts a house fire and can turn into a dangerous situation quickly."
Douglas says the most important thing is to make sure you have a working smoke alarm.
"There's a test button on there, just push it once a month, make sure it sounds and you're good to go," Douglas said.
Douglas adds, if you don't have a smoke alarm and you live within the City of Oklahoma City, call the fire department and they will give you one for free.
To be more aware on fire safety, the Oklahoma City Fire Department provides safety tips on their website.