• Be sure to exercise caution when using candles. Nationally, home candle fires jumped 20% from 1998 to 1999, the latest year these statistics are available.

• Keep candles out of reach of children.

• Do not place combustible materials (decorations) too close to a candle.

• Do not leave a burning candle unattended.

• Extinguish all candles prior to going to bed.

• Do not allow children to play with candles.

• Be sure to have your furnace serviced every year by a qualified contractor.

• If you burn wood in your fireplace, the chimney should be cleaned and checked annually.

• Heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires during the months of December, January and February, and is second only to cooking equipment in home fires year-round.

• In the U.S., in 1998, two of every three home heating fires and three of every four related deaths were attributed to space heating equipment.

• Space heaters should be placed at least three feet away from anything that can burn.

• Always turn off a space heater when leaving the room or going to sleep.

All information taken from the NFPA website www.nfpa.org.

St. Charles Fire Department - Administration nanderson@stcharlesil.gov (630) 377-4458