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Here is where you can find news about Jonesboro, Craighead County, and Arkansas at large, as well as news for Missouri and Tennessee.[ Read our Mission Statement ]

9 Simple Tips for Home House Fire Protection

As temperatures drop this winter, residents in Jonesboro prepare for freezing weather by turning on their heaters.  However, heating equipment is the leading cause of home fire deaths in the winter months.  

Jeff Presley, Director of Jonesboro E911, gives these 9 simple tips for preventing heating-related house fires:

  1. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
  2. Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
  3. Never use your oven to heat your home.
  4. Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
  5. Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
  6. Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
  7. Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
  8. Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
  9. Test smoke alarms &  Carbon Monoxide Alarm monthly.

Presley also said the Jonesboro Fire Department will install an alarm for free and, from time-to-time, will give away free smoke detectors.  He said to keep a look out on the fire department's Facebook page and the City of Jonesboro website to get more.