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<p align="center"><b><font face="Verdana" size="5" color="#0000FF">Health
Matters</font></b></p>
<p align="center" style="margin-top: 1px; margin-bottom: 1px">
<b><font face="Verdana" size="4">Home Heating Remains Second Highest </font>
</b></p>
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<b><font face="Verdana" size="4">Cause of Fire In The Home</font></b></p>
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<o:p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<font face="Verdana" size="1">Do you have a fireplace or a wood-burning
stove in your home? Or, are you thinking of installing one? Do you use
other kids of heating equipment to heat your home? If so, this article
should be very informative to you. Please be sure to keep the following
information in mind to ensure you and your family are safe while using
your home heating devices.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px"> </p>
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<span style="font-family: Verdana"><font size="1">According to the
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a home fire occurs every 82
seconds in this country. In 2000 alone, approximately 368,000 fires
occurred in residences, killing 3,420 people and injuring 16,975. While
home heating is usually a necessity during the colder months, home fires
should not be a consequence! </font></span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px"> </p>
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black"><font size="1">As
temperatures drop outdoors and people take steps to warm their homes,
the NFPA urges the public to be mindful of the risks associated with
home heating which is second only to cooking when it comes to causes of
home fires. Along with the colder temperatures that accompany winter,
there is an elevated risk of dying from fire during this season with
December, January and February generally being the deadliest months for
fires.</font></span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px"> </p>
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black"><font size="1">
According to a newly released NFPA study, <a style="color: #383838; text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single" href="http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=423&itemID=18255&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fire%20reports/Major%20causes"><span style="color:black">heating
equipment was involved in an estimated 53,000 reported home structure
fires in the United States in 2003</span></a>. The study includes fires
associated with chimneys and chimney connectors, space heaters, central
heating, fireplaces, water heaters and heat tape. These fires accounted
for 14% of all home fires and were responsible for an estimated 260
deaths, roughly 1,300 injuries and $500 million in direct property
damage.</font></span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black"><font size="1">Although
space heaters, excluding fireplaces and chimneys, were responsible for
one-fourth (26%) of home heating fires in 2003, they were the most
deadly, accounting for three-fourths (73%) of the fire deaths related to
home heating. Space heaters also were responsible for three out of every
five injuries (58%) in home heating fires in 2003 and half (51%) of the
associated property damage.</font></span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px"> </p>
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black"><font size="1">
According to the report, space heaters present a greater fire risk than
central heating systems. Space heaters tend to be closer to household
combustibles and the people occupying the home, and they tend to require
a more direct role by occupants in fueling, maintenance, and operation.</font></span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px"> </p>
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black"><font size="1">Even so,
any widely used heating device can be used safely, if the rules of
safety are followed.</font></span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px"> </p>
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black">
<a style="color: #383838; text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single" href="http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=291&itemID=19298&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fact%20sheets/Safety%20in%20the%20home/Heating">
<span style="color:black"><font size="1">NFPA suggests the following for
safe heating</font></span></a><font size="1">:</font></span></p>
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px"> </p>
<!--mstheme--></font><!--msthemelist--><table type="disc" style="margin-bottom: 0in" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<!--msthemelist--><tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/copy-of-blends/blebul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13" alt="bullet"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<font face="Verdana" size="1">Maintain a 3 feet (or 1 meter)
separation between things that can burn and heating equipment.
</font><!--mstheme--></font><!--msthemelist--></td></tr>
<!--msthemelist--><tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/copy-of-blends/blebul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13" alt="bullet"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<font face="Verdana" size="1">When buying a new space heater, make
sure it carries the mark of an independent testing laboratory and is
legal for use in your community. (Some communities do not permit
portable kerosene heaters, for example.) </font><!--mstheme--></font><!--msthemelist--></td></tr>
<!--msthemelist--><tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/copy-of-blends/blebul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13" alt="bullet"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<font face="Verdana" size="1">Install your stationary (fixed) space
heater according to manufacturer�s instructions or applicable codes
or better yet, have it installed by a professional. </font><!--mstheme--></font><!--msthemelist--></td></tr>
<!--msthemelist--><tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/copy-of-blends/blebul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13" alt="bullet"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<font face="Verdana" size="1">Plug your electric-powered space
heater into an outlet with sufficient capacity and never into an
extension cord. </font><!--mstheme--></font><!--msthemelist--></td></tr>
<!--msthemelist--><tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/copy-of-blends/blebul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13" alt="bullet"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<font face="Verdana" size="1">Use the proper grade of the proper
fuel for your liquid-fueled space heater, and never use gasoline in
any heater not approved for gasoline use. Refuel only in a
well-ventilated area and when the equipment is cool. </font><!--mstheme--></font><!--msthemelist--></td></tr>
<!--msthemelist--><tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/copy-of-blends/blebul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13" alt="bullet"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<font face="Verdana" size="1">In your fireplace or wood stove, use
only dry, seasoned wood to avoid the build-up of creosote, an oily
deposit that easily catches fire and accounts for most chimney fires
and the largest share of home heating fires generally. Use only
paper or kindling wood, not a flammable liquid, to start the fire.
Do not use artificial logs in wood stoves. </font><!--mstheme--></font><!--msthemelist--></td></tr>
<!--msthemelist--><tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/copy-of-blends/blebul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13" alt="bullet"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<font face="Verdana" size="1"><span style="color:windowtext">Make
sure your fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from
flying into the room. Allow fireplace and woodstove ashes to cool
before disposing in a metal container, which is kept a safe distance
from your home.</span></font><!--mstheme--></font><!--msthemelist--></td></tr>
<!--msthemelist--><tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/copy-of-blends/blebul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13" alt="bullet"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<font face="Verdana" size="1">Turn off space heaters whenever the
room they are in is unoccupied or under circumstances when
manufacturer�s instructions say they should be turned off. Portable
space heaters are so easy to knock over in the dark that they should
be turned off when you go to bed, but make sure your primary heating
equipment for bedrooms is sufficient to avoid risks to residents
from severe cold. </font><!--mstheme--></font><!--msthemelist--></td></tr>
<!--msthemelist--><tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/copy-of-blends/blebul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13" alt="bullet"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<font face="Verdana" size="1">Do not use your oven to heat your
home. </font><!--mstheme--></font><!--msthemelist--></td></tr>
<!--msthemelist--><tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/copy-of-blends/blebul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13" alt="bullet"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<font face="Verdana" size="1">Make sure fuel-burning equipment is
vented to the outside, that the venting is kept clear and
unobstructed, and that the exit point is properly sealed around the
vent, all of which is to make sure deadly carbon monoxide does not
build up in the home. Inspect all heating equipment annually, and
clean as necessary. Test smoke alarms monthly; install a <u>carbon
monoxide alarm</u> (NOW REQUIRED IN ALL RESIDENCES � AS OF APRIL
2006) in a central location outside each sleeping area.</font><!--mstheme--></font><!--msthemelist--></td></tr>
<!--msthemelist--><tr><td valign="baseline" width="42"><img src="../_themes/copy-of-blends/blebul1a.gif" width="15" height="15" hspace="13" alt="bullet"></td><td valign="top" width="100%"><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<p align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px"><!--mstheme--></font><!--msthemelist--></td></tr>
<!--msthemelist--></table><!--mstheme--><font face="Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica">
<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent2" align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<font face="Verdana" size="1">The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and
life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international
nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and
other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating
consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="justify" style="margin: 1px 5px">
<font face="Verdana" size="1"><span style="color:black">For more
information on wood stove and fireplace safety tips, you can contact the
Health Department at (781) 455-7523. </span>For more fire safety
information, visit UL's Web site at
<a title="www.ul.com/consumers" style="text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single" target="_blank" href="http://www.ul.com/consumers/">
www.ul.com/consumers</a> or the NFPA's Web site at
<a target="_blank" title="www.nfpa.org" style="text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single" href="http://www.nfpa.org">
www.nfpa.org</a>.<span style="color:black"> To get additional
information on air quality in relation to sources of potential indoor
air pollution, or to get information on cleaner wood-burning stoves, you
can check out the EPA�s Web site at:
<a style="text-decoration: underline; text-underline: single" target="_blank" href="http://www.epa.gov/">
http://www.epa.gov/</a>. </span></font></p>
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