As the Arctic air sets into our area, Ottawa Fire Chief, Tim Mathias, is very concerned about the possibility of an accidental fire happening in a home from people just trying to stay warm. He says he knows the use of portable space heaters will increase and urges people to be careful where they place the heaters. Make sure they are placed away from anything that may be flammable and to make sure nothing gets draped over them. He also cautions against using your oven as a source of heat or any type of open flame.
As it gets colder, water pipes are susceptible to freezing. Mathias says the best way to prevent this is to use some sort of heat tape around the pipe and be sure to use a sturdy extension cord to plug it in to, and open the cupboards under sinks to allow the warm air to circulate through. If your pipes do freeze, avoid using torches or other open flame equipment to thaw them. The last thing he wants is to see you at the scene of a fire at your house.
