Cork city fire officer shares tips on staying safe in the home during the cold snap

Cork City Fire Brigade share tips on how to stay safe in the home during the current cold snap

People have been advised not to move too closely to an open fire during the current cold snap. Picture: iStock.

As the cold snap continues to sweep the country, Cork City Fire Brigade has shared some tips on how to stay safe in the home.

Temperatures continue to plummet each night and people have been coming up with ways to stay as warm as possible at home, but third officer at Cork City Fire Brigade Gerard Ryan has advised people to be vigilant.

Mr Ryan has warned people to make careful decisions in the home over the coming days to ensure their safety. 

Some of the tips shared by Mr Ryan include:

• Keep a safe distance from open fires in the home 
• Keep flammable materials away from stoves and open fireplaces in the home 
• Do not open the doors of stoves designed to be locked as harmful gases can escape 
• Do not block air vents in windows and doors - these are designed to let fresh air into the home 
• Keep generators away from doors and windows and place them upwind of the home Do not run multiple cables to outhouses to keep pets warm 
• Put the heating on for 30 minutes during the night to keep pipes warm 
• If pipes burst, turn off the water and when it is safe to do so, turn off electricity from the fuse board 

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Ryan explained that one of the most common things that people will do in the home to keep warm is move closer to their fires.

“People are trying to stay extra warm by moving closer to their fires and wrapping blankets around themselves and those blankets can catch fire. The fires can come out on top of the blankets and set them alight,” he said.

Mr Ryan said fire crews responded on Tuesday night to an incident where a blanket had caught fire inside a home.

“A blanket seemed to have caught fire on a person who was trying to get that extra bit of heat. You do have to be aware of going too close to a fire with a flammable material such as a blanket," he said.

“Yes, it’s important to stay that bit extra warm but people have to be vigilant.” 

Mr Ryan warned that elderly people in particular are feeling the cold and are moving in on top of the fire to stay warm.

“These people are not as mobile so they can't get away from it as quickly if something goes wrong. So, we’re also advising people to check in on elderly people and advise them. It might be better to close the door and keep the heat in the room that way, for example, but not to be going too close to the source of the fire.” 

A winter scene near Ballydesmond, Co Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan

Mr Ryan also warned against leaving fires fully lit before going to bed to keep the house warm overnight.

“It’s not something we would say is a good thing just to keep the house warm. It’s about finding that balance,” he said.

Mr Ryan said that people are also blocking every draught in the home but warned that people have to be very careful about carbon monoxide building up in rooms.

“Opening stoves that shouldn't be opened and that are designed to be closed and locked is not a good idea. Any stove that’s designed to be locked shouldn't be opened into a room because the unburned gases, the carbon monoxide, come out into the room and they can play havoc with people," he said.

First of all, they can put people into a sleepy state and then an unconscious state.

“An open fire is fine because the flue is open all the way out so all the gases go out to the atmosphere but with the modern houses now we’re getting more stoves and more heat units so when the fire is dying down, people are opening the stove doors to get the last of the heat but then you’re also getting the unburned gases which are dangerous.

“Windows are designed to have vents in them when you have natural gases inside in houses so don’t be blocking vents that are designed to let fresh air in to make sure that these types of fires and stoves are working correctly because if they don't get fresh air in, they don’t burn correctly and that can lead to problems.” 

Mr Ryan also warned against running multiple cables between buildings, saying that doing so can “lead to bigger catastrophes”.

“People are running a lot of cables to their sheds to keep animals warm. Unfortunately, running temporary cables across buildings and in between buildings can lead to bigger catastrophes for us because those cables are not meant to span two buildings, for example, and people are doing that to put heat lamps in outbuildings for their animals. So, people just have to be very careful,” he said.

Those who have lost power during the cold snap may be using generators, which he said people should also be mindful of when using.

ESB Networks technician Brian Molan and crew working to restore electricity near Kilworth, Co Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins

“Be very careful of the fumes when using generators if you have no power. The generators need to be far away enough from the house that poisonous gases from the generator won't come in through the openings such as doors or windows,” he said.

Be extra vigilant and make sure you look at the wind direction and place the generator so that the wind will take the fumes away from openings.

Mr Ryan said that with the continued frost, it is a good idea to turn on the heating for a short time during the night to keep pipes warm and prevent them from freezing.

“Even if you bring it on for 30 minutes halfway through the night, at least then the pipes are warm and they won't reach freezing temperatures where they’ll break,” he said.

“If there is a break, be careful and turn off the water as fast as you can because you don't want water and electricity mixing.

“Don't take any chances and turn off the power when it is safe to do so at the fuse board before you go tackling any spills. If there are broken pipes, be careful if they leak into electricity mains. Just turn off the electricity until it dries out and seek professional advice on when it is safe to turn it on.” 

He advised people to learn how units and equipment in their homes operate and to become aware of how to warm the home safely.