Freezing Weather Safety Tips (Because Winter Is Not the Time to Wing It)

When temperatures drop below freezing, your home needs a little extra care, and a few smart choices can help prevent fires, frozen pipes, and emergency maintenance calls. As cold weather settles in, take a moment to review these freezing weather safety tips to keep things warm, safe, and drama-free.

Give Heaters Some Personal Space: Space heaters like their space. Keep anything that can burn like furniture, baskets, paper, curtains, clothing at least three feet away from heating equipment. Crowding heaters is a fast track to a fire hazard, and nobody wants that.

Space Heaters: Use Them Wisely
If you’re using a portable space heater, remember:

• Turn it off when you leave the room or go to bed. Cozy naps are great; unattended heaters are not.
• Plug heaters directly into a wall outlet.
  Power strips and extension cords are a hard no—they can overheat and create serious fire risks.
• Only use portable heaters approved for indoor use. Outdoor heaters belong outdoors.

Your Oven Is for Cooking, Not Heating: It might feel tempting when it’s cold, but never use an oven or stovetop to heat your home. This is extremely dangerous and can lead to fires or carbon monoxide poisoning. Let’s keep the heat where it belongs.

Carbon Monoxide: Invisible, Dangerous, Preventable: Carbon monoxide is odorless, invisible, and very real. Make sure carbon monoxide detectors are installed and working properly in your home. It’s a small step that makes a big difference.

Cold Weather + Common Sense = Fewer Problems: Freezing temperatures put extra strain on heating systems and utilities. Following these tips helps protect your home, your neighbors, and the property, and helps everyone avoid unnecessary emergencies.

If you experience a heating-related emergency during freezing conditions and are a tenant or resident of Greater Greenville, please contact our after-hours emergency line.
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Stay warm. Stay safe. And let’s all get through winter without calling the fire department. ❄️🔥