Fire Safety

Heating Equipment
Improper use of portable heating equipment can lead to fire or dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. Take precautions to ensure you are heating your home safely.

• Use only portable heating equipment that is approved for indoor use.
• Keep combustible materials, including furniture, drapes, and carpeting at least three feet away from the heat source. Never drape clothes over a space heater to dry.
• Always keep an eye on heating equipment. Never leave children alone in the room where a space heater is running. Turn it off when you are unable to closely monitor it.
• Be careful not to overload electrical circuits.

Make sure you have a working smoke detector in every room. Check and change batteries often.

Carbon Monoxide Safety

• Install a carbon monoxide detector in your home and check it regularly to make sure the battery is working. Illinois law requires owners to provide and install at least one approved carbon monoxide alarm within 15 feet of the primary entrance to each sleeping room.
• Make sure your heating system is kept clean and properly vented; have worn or defective parts replaced.
• Have your fireplace, chimney, and flue cleaned every year to remove soot deposits, leaves, etc.
• Kerosene heaters are dangerous please consult your local ordinance for restrictions.
• Don't heat your home with a gas stove or oven.
• Do not use any gas-powered appliance, such as a generator, indoors.
• Never use a charcoal grill or a hibachi indoors.
• Automobile exhaust contains carbon monoxide. Open your garage door before starting your car and do not leave the motor running in an enclosed area. Clear exhaust pipes before starting a car or truck after it snows.
• The most common symptom of carbon monoxide poisoning is headache. However, symptoms may also include dizziness, chest pain, nausea, and vomiting. In severe cases, people can become increasingly irritable, agitated, and confused, eventually becoming lethargic and lapsing into unconsciousness.
• If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, call 911 and get the victim to fresh air immediately and open windows.
• If you lose heat, take measures to trap existing warm air, and safely stay warm until heat returns:
  • Insulate your home as much as possible. Hang blankets over windows and doorways and stay in a well-insulated room while power is out.
  • Dress warmly. Wear hats, scarves, gloves, and layered clothing.
  • If you have a working fireplace, use it for heat and light, but be sure to keep the damper open for ventilation.
  • Open your faucets to a steady drip so pipes do not freeze.
  • Eat. Food provides your body with needed energy to produce its own heat and drinking helps your body avoid dehydration.
  • If the cold persists and your heat is not restored, call family, neighbors, or friends to see if you can stay with them.

If your service line, pipes or water meters freeze:

• Open a faucet near the frozen point to release vapor from melting ice.
• Direct a hair dryer or heat lamp at the frozen section, or put a small space heater nearby.
• Never thaw a frozen pipe or meter with an open flame; this could lead to fire or cause a steam explosion.
• If your meter is damaged or your pipes burst, call 911.