National Fire Prevention Week

ZANESVILLE, OH – This week is national fire prevention week and Chief Gene Hanning from the Washington Township Fire Department shared some information to keep your family safe.

Chief Hanning recommends getting a carbon monoxide detector and he recalled a story of when it saved a couple’s lives. 

“I recommend keeping at least one carbon monoxide detector in your home,” Hanning said. “We’ve had a few residents that used a charcoal grill, and that puts off a tremendous amount of carbon monoxide. But they had a cookout, they rolled the grill into their garage, and their garage was attached to their home. Around 2 A.M., their alarm went off and they couldn’t figure out why it was going off until they checked the garage and found the grill.”

Hanning also suggests having an escape plan for the worst case scenario and to tell that plan to a family member or neighbor. 

To help further prevent wildfires, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources enacts a burn ban for the months of October, November, April, and May. The ban lasts from 6 A.M. to 6 P.M

This ban includes the burning of yard waste, trash, and debris, even in a proper burn barrel. The ODNR suggests if you do burn anything; to check with neighbors if they have respiratory issues, to cover your burn barrel with a mesh wiring top, and to never leave anything burning unattended.

For more information about fire safety, head to the ODNR’s website.