Residents need to take precautions during winter months
The Luling Volunteer Fire Department was called to the scene of two separate fires that occurred just hours apart last Tuesday, highlighting the need for parish residents to take extra precautions during the winter months.
One of the fires occurred in the rear of Lakewood Drive when authorities suspect a small candle fell onto a bed. Just before that, firefighters put out a kitchen fire in Willowdale.
Luling Fire Chief Craig Petit said both fires were disposed of quickly, resulting in just minor damage. It was a busy night for the Luling Volunteer Fire Department.
“It’s not often we get to fires back-to-back like that,” Petit said. “After the second fire we actually were called to an auto wreck.”
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), more fires occur during the winter months than at any other time of the year.
Often, fires occur because of candles. From 2007 until 2011, fire departments across the country responded to an average of 10,630 fires yearly that were due to candles. More than 36 percent of those fires were started by lit candles that were placed in bedrooms.
Another leading cause of winter fires is holiday decorations. Nearly half of those fires happen when decorations are placed too close to a heat source, according to the NFPA.
Holiday cooking has also been cited as a cause of winter fires, however space heaters appear to be the most dangerous.
Space heaters account for a third of home heating fires. A majority of the time, the fires occur when something that can burn is set too close to heating equipment.
“People need to be careful with candles and stoves, and pay attention to where they place their heaters,” Petit said.
Be the first to comment