Safe stove: simple rules from rescuers

As the cold weather sets in, citizens living in private homes begin to consider what constitutes a safe heating stove. Stove equipment is an object of increased fire hazard. Fires related to malfunctions or improper operation of stoves lead to significant material damage, and people often die in such fires. To avoid disaster, it is enough to follow these simple safety rules:

- during severe frosts, it is recommended to heat the stove two to three times a day for no more than one and a half hours. This will prevent overheating;

- there should be no cracks or gaps in the stove, and the chimney should have good draft and be whitewashed with a lime solution. This is done so that cracks appearing over time can be noticed against a white background;

- during the heating season, clean the chimney of soot at least once every 2 months;

- the stove and chimney, at the points of connection with wooden ceilings, must have a thickening of brickwork or a firebreak;

- to prevent accidentally dropped burning coals from causing a fire, nail a metal sheet measuring at least 50x70 cm to the wooden floor in front of the firebox. It can be made of non-combustible brick;

- under no circumstances use flammable and combustible liquids for lighting;

- do not leave the firebox doors open and the heating stove unattended – this is a direct path to a fire;

- keep clothing, furniture, firewood, and other combustible materials at least one and a half meters away from the stove;

- dispose of ash and burnt-out coals no closer than 15 meters from buildings;

- Do not leave a stove unattended while it is heating and do not allow children to light them independently.

A significant danger during the operation of heating equipment is an invisible enemy – carbon monoxide. When using gas water heaters or stoves, it is necessary to remember that carbon monoxide has no color or smell. It is formed during any type of combustion and is also present in exhaust gases. The first sign is that a person begins to feel a headache and suffocation. At high concentrations, loss of consciousness and paralysis occur. And if the gas concentration in the air is more than 1.2% – a person dies in a few seconds.

To avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, remember that you should not close the stove damper prematurely, i.e., until the coals have completely burned out. In this case, the stove should be heated for at least two hours before going to bed.