Fall greetings to everyone on the mountain. Glad to have some cooler temperatures and looking forward to the fall colors. With the recent surge of the delta variant of COVID-19, we are being very careful but still running calls as usual. October, in case you did not know, is National Fire Prevention Month and the start of open burning in Hamilton County, so we have some tips, suggestions and requests.
With the cooler temperatures, it is time to think about fire prevention for this winter. If you have a word burning stove or fireplace, you may want to consider cleaning the flue and the firebox of any built-up soot. Most of the residential fire calls we get during the winter are for chimney fires. If the soot build-up in your chimney does catch fire, it can spill out onto the roof and catch the entire house on fire. This can be easily prevented.
As of October 1, open burning is now allowed in the county. However, there are required conditions as to what you are allowed to burn, how much and at what times of day. Contact the Air Pollution Control Board to obtain your burn permit and find and find all the details. A county burn permit is only $10. We also request that should you plan to burn, please give us a courtesy call and let us know.
We often times will get calls from motorists who see flames or smoke and call in an unknown fire, which we appreciate. However, if we show up and you have a burn permit and are burning allowed materials during the day, then all is well. But that is the case only as long as it is an allowed burn day and you are monitoring your fire at all times. If we know ahead of time, when we get a suspected fire emergency and know you are already burning in the area, it greatly helps us with our response.
This is also a good time to check the batteries on your smoke detectors. It is recommended that you change your smoke detector batteries twice a year. National statistics from the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) are quite surprising. For instance, less than 50 percent of U.S. homeowners have an escape plan if there is a fire in their home, 60 percent do not check their smoke detectors monthly, and the No. 1 national cause of home fires is unattended cooking.
We know that most of these are preventable. We also know that there are those of you on the mountain who may have trouble testing your smoke detectors or changing your batteries. If you need assistance with this, please call WRES at Station One and let us know you need some help.
We still look forward to showing off our Station One when the time is appropriate. Until that time, feel free to contact WRES by leaving a message at Station One by calling (423) 886-5974. Or you can go to our Facebook page at Waldens Ridge Emergency Service and message us directly. However, if you have an emergency, or even think you may be having an emergency, always, always call 911 for immediate assistance and the fastest response.
by Jay Heavilon
With the cooler temperatures, it is time to think about fire prevention for this winter. If you have a word burning stove or fireplace, you may want to consider cleaning the flue and the firebox of any built-up soot. Most of the residential fire calls we get during the winter are for chimney fires. If the soot build-up in your chimney does catch fire, it can spill out onto the roof and catch the entire house on fire. This can be easily prevented.
As of October 1, open burning is now allowed in the county. However, there are required conditions as to what you are allowed to burn, how much and at what times of day. Contact the Air Pollution Control Board to obtain your burn permit and find and find all the details. A county burn permit is only $10. We also request that should you plan to burn, please give us a courtesy call and let us know.
We often times will get calls from motorists who see flames or smoke and call in an unknown fire, which we appreciate. However, if we show up and you have a burn permit and are burning allowed materials during the day, then all is well. But that is the case only as long as it is an allowed burn day and you are monitoring your fire at all times. If we know ahead of time, when we get a suspected fire emergency and know you are already burning in the area, it greatly helps us with our response.
This is also a good time to check the batteries on your smoke detectors. It is recommended that you change your smoke detector batteries twice a year. National statistics from the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) are quite surprising. For instance, less than 50 percent of U.S. homeowners have an escape plan if there is a fire in their home, 60 percent do not check their smoke detectors monthly, and the No. 1 national cause of home fires is unattended cooking.
We know that most of these are preventable. We also know that there are those of you on the mountain who may have trouble testing your smoke detectors or changing your batteries. If you need assistance with this, please call WRES at Station One and let us know you need some help.
We still look forward to showing off our Station One when the time is appropriate. Until that time, feel free to contact WRES by leaving a message at Station One by calling (423) 886-5974. Or you can go to our Facebook page at Waldens Ridge Emergency Service and message us directly. However, if you have an emergency, or even think you may be having an emergency, always, always call 911 for immediate assistance and the fastest response.
by Jay Heavilon