Fire officials urge residents to protect pipes, pets and people ahead of freezing cold
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY-TV) – On Sunday, thermostats will be turned up in the Cape Fear region as cold temperatures sweep the area.
The Wilmington Fire Chief, Steve Mason said there a list of items residents should keep in mind to stay safe.
The first thing concerns pipes outside your home.
“If you have exposed pipes outside, if you have an outdoor well certainly make sure that they are well insulated or if you have some sort of light in there to keep them from freezing over and save yourself a lot of headaches,” Mason said.
Pipes can be insulated with foam or heat tape to prevent pipes from freezing over or even breaking. Lisa Foxbower, store manager at Steven’s Ace Hardware said homeowners should also be protecting their exterior faucet with a foam protector.
“If your outside faucet bib breaks you will have internal damage underneath the house, it could also flood underneath your house once it comes back,” Foxbower said.
What should you do if you have a four-legged friend outside.
“Make sure your pets are taken care of cedar shavings in their houses, for outside pets, make sure they have water if they are outside make sure their water doesn’t freeze,” Foxbower said.
If using a space heater, Mason said its best to use them with caution by making sure they are UL listed or meet safety standard to prevent fires.
“Don’t overload your outlets with those things they draw a lot of power,” Mason said.
For homes that use a kerosene heater, Mason urges owners to get them serviced to make sure they are operating properly.
“Those things can put off a lot of heat but they can also put off a lot of carbon monoxide if they aren’t burning properly,” Mason said.
Last but certainly not least, Mason encourages checking in on loved ones.
“If you’ve got someone that may or may not have adequate heat in their home you might want to check on them and make sure that they’ve got plenty of warm blankets or some sort of safe heating source,” Mason said.
