SAN ANTONIO — With the freezing, below-freezing temperatures expected over the next few days, the Bexar County Office of Emergency Management is encouraging people to stay at home and off the streets if they do not have to be out.
Crews will be monitoring bridges and low-lying areas where ice will build up first.
The Bexar County Fire Marshal reminds people to use only safe means of heating; stoves, ovens, space heaters and others are considered potentially hazardous and should be avoided.
The Bexar County Office of Emergency Management shared following safety tips:
- Keep all fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators, space heaters or candles at least three feet away from anything that can burn, such as curtains, carpet, mattresses, and blankets
- Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters
- Never use an oven to heat your home
- Turn off and unplug space heaters when leaving the room or going to bed
- Make sure the heater has an automatic shutoff, so if it tips over, it shuts off
- Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home
- Do not burn paper in your fireplace
- Put the fire out before you go to sleep or leave your home
- Install smoke alarms in every bedroom and test monthly
- Create a home fire escape plan
For more safety tips, click here.
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