It’s not too early to begin preparing for the winter season, especially with the recent snowfall in the high country. Check off these 10 tips, and get ahead of the winter freeze!

• Furnace has been inspected and serviced by a qualified professional during the last 12 months.
• Chimneys and vents have been cleaned and inspected by a qualified professional for creosote build-up. (Note: Not cleaning your chimney, from built-up creosote, is the leading cause of chimney fires.) This service needs to be done at least once a year.
• Wood for the fireplace or wood stove is dry, seasoned wood.
• Fireplace screen is metal or heat-tempered glass, in good condition and secure in its position in front of the fireplace.
• We have a covered metal container ready to use to dispose of cooled ashes. (Note: Ash containers should be kept at least 10 feet from the home and any nearby combustibles.)
• Our children know to stay at least 3 feet away from the fireplace, wood/pellet stove, oil stove or other space heaters.
• Our portable space heaters have an automatic shut-off.
• Our portable space heaters will be plugged in directly to an outlet (not an extension cord) and placed at least three feet from anything that can burn─like bedding, paper, walls and even people. All heaters need space!
• We tested our smoke alarms and made sure they are working. (You need a smoke alarm on every level of the home, inside each bedroom and outside each sleeping area. For the best protection, the smoke alarms should be interconnected so when one sounds, they all sound.)
• We tested our carbon monoxide alarms and made sure they are working. Carbon monoxide alarms should be located outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home.