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Winter fire safety reminders

Park City Fire District
Park City Fire Department saw an increased number of chimney fires in 2023 and 2022.

With more winter weather advisories coming this week, Park City Fire District Marshal, Mike Owens wants to remind residents of some safety measures to keep their home fire-free.

Space heaters are one of the main fire hazards in the winter. Owens said to always follow the safety measures on the heater’s instructions.

“Ideally, you don't want to place it right on your carpet, it's going to say don't cover…And then the other important thing is to make sure that there's nothing around it that can actually catch on fire.”

He added when plugging in a heater, best practice is to use a wall outlet rather than an extension cord.

Chimney fires are another concern for the Park City Fire District. Owens said last year they saw a significant increase in these types of fires. He explained it wasn’t the chimney itself that would catch fire.

“It was the chimney chase because the chimney had failed. So anytime you have a fireplace, one thing you want to do is make sure that that chimney is serviced on a regular basis.” 

He said most services include cleaning the chimney as well as an inspection to make sure it is functioning properly. Owens said the department also receives calls for heat tape malfunctions.

“Over time it gets old cracks and gets brittle and then shorts out starts to spark and can generate more heat than what it's supposed to heat and then it will catch the roof on fire.”

He said the best way to avoid this is to call an electrician to check on the tape after the winter.

For more safety tips and reminders visit pcfd.org.