By Fox23.com News Staff
OKLAHOMA — As temperatures begin to dip below, freezing and people are weather-proofing their homes, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) warns homeowners of fires and power outages during winter storms.
With wintry weather comes winter storms and sometimes with storms comes power outages. FEMA gives the following tips on how to navigate a power outage during a winter storm:
- Do not use a gas stove or oven to heat your home. This can raise your risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Keep freezers and refrigerators closed. FEMA suggests that any food that has been exposed to temperatures of 40°F or higher for two or more hours be thrown away. Also, any food that has a weird smell, texture, or color should also be discarded.
- If you have medical devices that could be affected, make alternative plans. If your medicine requires refrigeration or a power source, you should try and find an alternative way to store or use them.
- Disconnect appliances and electronics. Surges can occur when power is turned back on after an outage. FEMA suggests unplugging these items to avoid this.
- Check for community resources through your local and state officials to find the nearest public place with heat and power. If you’re unable to safely keep your home warm, check to see if there are any warming stations or other community resources available to stay safe. For a list of warming stations in the Tulsa area, click here.
Public Service of Oklahoma (PSO) has a real-time outage map that customers can use to track outages in their area.
According to FEMA, the second-leading cause of fires is home-heating. This is most common during winter.
How to protect and prepare your home for winter weather
FEMA shared the following tips to help prevent fires and other emergencies and keep you and your family safe:
- Anything that is flammable and can burn should be at least 3 feet away from any heat source. This includes radiators, wood stoves, portable hearts, candles, fireplaces, and vents.
- Clean dust and build-up in/on heat sources. Just like your dryer’s lint-catcher, you should be regularly removing debris and dust from any heat source as this can catch fire and cause emergencies.
- Always plug space heaters directly into an outlet. A great rule of thumb is to always plug appliances directly into an outlet and not into a power strip or surge protector. FEMA also recommends that you inspect the cord to ensure there are no frayed wires or damage.
- Maintain heating equipment and chimneys. Just like your other heating sources, you should be regularly cleaning and checking fireplaces, chimneys, and other heating equipment. Have a professional perform an inspection and clean them before use to prevent fires.
- Install and test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. In some areas, your local fire department can perform tests and even provide you with a smoke alarm and/or carbon monoxide detectors. You can call your local department for more information. For Tulsa residents, you can call 918-592-9422 for smoke alarm assistance.
The Tulsa Fire Department also has a Home Safety Checklist that provides more tips and advice for preventing house fires, planning for fire escape, and overall safety tips for homeowners. You can view the checklist below:
