Fire-Safety Tips for Tulsans Without Power
Tulsa firefighters have responded to more than one hundred structural fires, including two which resulted in fatalities, since the ice storm arrived three days ago.
Tulsa Fire Capt. Larry Bowles said citizens can help prevent fires, electrocutions, carbon monoxide poisoning and other problems by using caution with candles, space-heaters, fireplaces and heating appliances not designed for indoor use. Also, the use of generators can pose electrical shock hazards both inside homes and elsewhere, Bowles advised.
“I know this is a trying time for everyone who does not have electricity at their homes, but it is imperative that anyone using candles, space heaters or any kind of temporary heat source take some basic precautions to prevent serious injuries, death and property loss,” Bowles said.
Bowles makes the following recommendations:
Candles: Do not leave candles unattended in unoccupied rooms. Keep a minimum three-foot radius of space around and above candle flames to separate them from any combustible materials. Extinguish candles when you go to sleep or leave the room
Space heaters: If you have power and are using electrical space heaters, make sure they are kept a safe distance from any combustible materials. Do not sleep too close to space heaters where blankets or other bedding or clothing might be pushed too close to the heat source.
Portable gas or liquid-fuel heaters: Unvented, petroleum-fueled heating appliances should not be used indoors. Besides posing the same fire-starting dangers as candles and space heaters, their combustion process creates carbon monoxide (CO), a lethal poisonous gas. Symptoms of CO poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, sleepiness, nausea and vomiting, progressing to disorientation, coma, convulsions and death.
Charcoal burners or grills: As with petroleum-fueled heat sources, burning wood or charcoal indoors produces carbon monoxide and so should not be used indoors. Many such devices also contain vents that could allow live coals or hot ashes to spill onto carpets or combustibles.
Ovens & Ranges: Again, the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning is a danger, even if built-in cooking appliances have adequate space around them or are insulated from nearby combustibles. They should not be used for heating.
Fireplaces: Burning wood, or burning gas logs, also produces carbon monoxide. Much escapes up the chimney, but it can still pose a danger inside. Also, building fires that are too-large or too-hot can cause flue or chimney fires in walls or attics or roofs that may not be detectable from inside the house until the fire is already spreading throughout the structure.
Generators: The use of petroleum-fueled electrical generators can help provide light and comfort, but they should be operated only outdoors. Their motors emit carbon monoxide which can cause deaths if they are operated in closed or poorly ventilated rooms or buildings.
The use of generators can also pose hazards for people outside of buildings. Electrical current from generators can back-flow into electrical lines meant to bring power into the structure. An electrical line that was uncharged at one point in time can become re-charged, and thus dangerous, because of back-flow power from small generators.
Power Lines: Treat ALL power lines as if they were charged and dangerous. Do not attempt to move or handle power lines hanging low, lying on the ground or on or among the branches of downed trees. Leave handling of downed or sagging power lines to electrical linemen and electricians.