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| NewsTuesday, October 9, 2007 6:08 PM CDT |
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Country shares message of fire prevention
BLOOMINGTON — In less than four minutes, flames from a candle or space heater can destroy a living room. That’s the message of two fire demonstrations sponsored by Country Insurance & Financial Services and put on by the Bloomington Fire Department. Time-elapsed video and photos of the tests are available on Country’s Web site, www.countryfinancial.com. “That’s dead-on,” Capt. Eric Vaughn, public education officer with the Bloomington Fire Department, said Monday when asked whether the speed of the two demonstrations were typical of fires caused by candles and space heaters. “A fire doubles in size every 30 seconds,” he said. The fire department conducted the tests recently outside the fire department’s No. 2 station, 1911 Hamilton Road. Two separate rooms were built using standard construction equipment, furniture and household items. In one room, firefighters lit a candle, which landed in a wastebasket. In the second room, paper ignited when it was placed too closely to a space heater. Flames engulfed both rooms in less than four minutes, Vaughn said. Bloomington-based Country released the video and photos for national Fire Prevention Week this week. Mishandled candles and space heaters are among common causes of fires during the winter heating season and the holidays, said Vaughn and Tom Tracey, Country field claims director. They also are among more preventable causes of fires, they said. “We want to make people aware of how fast a fire can spread,” Tracey said. In addition to the potential for injury and death, fires caused by candles and space heaters are costly. According to Country, the average space heater fire claim is $20,000 and the average candle fire claim is $28,000. Tracey encouraged residents to check their homeowners’ policy to make sure they have proper coverage. Video-tape your belongings and put the tape in a fire-proof safe or a bank safety deposit box so you have proof of your belongings in case of a fire, Tracey said. Fire prevention In conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, here are some tips to reduce your risk of fire: • Place candles in non-tip vases. Never leave burning candles unattended. Keep them out of reach of children and away from pets and flammable items. Extinguish them before leaving the room or going to bed. • If you need a space heater, choose one certified by a national testing lab, such as Underwriters Laboratories. Make sure it has an automatic tip switch, which turns off the heater if it tips over. Place the space heater at least three feet away from combustible material, including rugs, carpets, drapes, furniture and bedding. • Never leave cooking unattended. Don’t store flammable objects near the stove. • Develop and practice a family fire escape plan. • Buy smoke alarms certified by Underwriters Laboratories and install on every level of your home. Replace batter-ies at least once a year. • Have at least one fire extinguisher and know how to use it. • Have your chimney inspected and cleaned before each heating season. • More information is at www.countryfinancial.com; www.archeartland.org; and www.statefarm.com. SOURCES: Tom Tracey, Country Insurance & Financial Services; Capt. Eric Vaughn, Bloomington Fire Department; American Red Cross of the Heartland; State Farm Insurance Cos. E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
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