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Preventing Wintertime Burn Injuries in South Florida

Home fires are a significant source of severe personal injury and death each year. Burns can be catastrophic and life-altering, and you should do everything you can to prevent you and your family from suffering this serious type of injury. The following safety tips apply year-round, but you may find some of them are relevant in Florida only during the winter:

Kitchen Safety

Kitchen fires are a major source of home fires every year, and hence also a cause of severe personal injury. In fact, the US Fire Administration says cooking is the leading cause of all home fires during the winter, and that most winter home fires occur between 5 and 8 pm. Here are four basic kitchen safety measures:

• When frying or broiling food, do not leave the food unattended
• When simmering or baking, do not leave your home
• Make sure flammable materials – paper towels, kitchen towels, oven mitts – are kept away from the stovetop
• Do not use the oven to heat your home

Home Heating Safety

Although we don’t usually need to heat our homes in Florida, you may find yourself getting chilly and cranking the heat at least a few times in the winter. To heat your home safely, consider these tips:

• Place space heaters at least a few feet from anything flammable, including curtains, bed sheets, clothing and anything else that could easily light on fire
• If you have a wood-burning fireplace, make sure you have the chimney inspected regularly
• When enjoying a wood fire, make sure the flue is open. Best practice is to use only a small amount of wood to prevent the fire from getting too large
• Always use the screen or glass doors on a wood-burning fireplace, to prevent embers escaping into your home
• Always ensure the fire is out before going to bed

Safer Christmas Trees

Christmas trees catch on fire rarely, but when they do, the ensuing fire is usually severe. If your family celebrates Christmas, there are a few things you should do if you have a Christmas tree:

• Never place lit candles on or near your tree
• Prevent drying by watering your tree every day or so
• Turn off tree lights before going to bed or when you leave the house
• Do not use light strands if there is a broken bulb or frayed wire

Prevent Serious Personal Injury

The US Fire Administration shares these startling statistics:

• 905 people are killed in home fires during the winter each year
• Cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the wintertime
• Home fires started by candles peak in December
• A third of all candle-lit fires start in bedrooms

If you are searching for an experienced burn injury lawyer in Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, Boynton Beach, Fort Lauderdale or any of the surrounding areas in South Florida, please call Canter Law South Florida Injury Lawyers at 561-447-4500. We provide FREE case evaluations, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We also have multiple office locations throughout the region, to better serve people from across the state.