WHFD wants you to be safe this winter!

As the cold weather sets into our area the men and women of the Watch Hill Fire Department and the US Fire Administration want to remind you of some valuable information so that you remain safe this winter.

The threat of winter fires is real. These statistics will help you understand the severity and prevalence of winter fires.

-905 people die in winter home fires each year.
-$2,091,000,000 in property loss occurs from winter home fires.
-67 percent of winter fires occur in one- and two-family homes.
-Cooking is the leading cause of all winter home fires.
-5 to 8 p.m. is the most common time for winter home fires.

Facts about home heating fires

-From 2010-2012, an average of 45,200 home heating fires occurred in the United States each year and resulted in an annual average of approximately 155 deaths, 625 injuries and $351 million in property loss.
-Heating was the second leading cause of home fires following cooking.
-Home heating fires peaked in the early evening hours between 5 and 9 p.m. with the highest peak between 6 and 8 p.m. This four-hour period accounted for 30 percent of all home heating fires.
-Home heating fires peaked in January (21 percent) and declined to the lowest point during the summer months from June to August.
-Confined fires, those fires confined to chimneys, flues or fuel burners, accounted for 84 percent of home heating fires.
-Twenty-nine percent of the nonconfined home heating fires occurred because the heat source was too close to things that can burn.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 401-348-8932

Thank you for Helping Us Help You!