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Fire Prevention
Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector Program
If you live in the City of Greenville and do not currently have a working smoke alarm in your home or yours is more than 10 years old, come to the Fire Department during normal business hours to complete a survey (PDF) and qualify for a smoke or carbon monoxide detector free of charge with installation from Fire Department personnel.
Important Tips
Statistics show that heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires during the winter months. Most of these fires involve kerosene heaters, gas space heaters, and wood-burning stoves. You can reduce the chance that your family will experience a home fire by following some simple safety tips:
If you live in the City of Greenville and do not currently have a working smoke alarm in your home or yours is more than 10 years old, come to the Fire Department during normal business hours to complete a survey (PDF) and qualify for a smoke or carbon monoxide detector free of charge with installation from Fire Department personnel.
Important Tips
Statistics show that heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires during the winter months. Most of these fires involve kerosene heaters, gas space heaters, and wood-burning stoves. You can reduce the chance that your family will experience a home fire by following some simple safety tips:
- Always make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working properly.
- Fireplaces: have the chimney professionally inspected every winter (and cleaned if necessary). A chemical substance called creosote forms when wood burns. A build-up of creosote can ignite, causing a chimney fire.
- Wood-burning stoves and fireplaces should be fueled with wood only. Never burn paper or pine boughs, as they can float out of the chimney and ignite your roof or a neighbor's roof.
- With wood stoves, inspect chimney connections and flues at the beginning of each heating season. Also, be sure the stove is placed on an approved stove board.
- Space heaters need space! These heating sources must be placed at least three feet from anything that can burn, including walls, furniture, and people.
- Never leave children unsupervised in a room with a space heater.
- Always turn off portable space heaters before going to bed or leaving the room for an extended period of time.
- Be sure kerosene heaters are off and cooled down before refilling. Always refill your kerosene heater outside.
- Electric heaters should never be plugged into extension cords.
- Do not cover a heater's cord with carpeting or furniture; this can cause overheating.