Fire Department Gives Tips On Staying Safe And Warm In Freezing Temps

Think of the coldest you’ve ever felt: that teeth-chattering, bone-chilling sensation. What if you couldn’t get rid of that feeling? What if your attempts to do so put you and your family in harm’s way?

Many borderland families are having trouble staying safe and warm this winter. El Paso Fire Marshal Calvin Shanks offers some advice.

“One of the major concerns we have in the winter months are portable heaters,” he said. Shanks said propane gas should not be used indoors. He added electric space heaters should have a 3 foot clearance surrounding them to avoid fires in the case of an electric short.

“We have to use heaters as safely as possible,” he said.

Shanks said fireplace safety is also an important consideration. Late Monday night, authorities said a Montana Vista home caught fire. The five people inside got out safely but their home was a total loss. The fire marshal attributed the flames to a faulty fireplace.

“(People) don’t have the proper screen on their fireplace so they’ll put the wood in and it’ll pop, then sparks come out and hit the carpet,” he said.

Shanks also warned agianst using the kitchen stove as a heating device. “It’s very inefficient and it generates a lot of carbon monoxide,” he said.

Aracely Rivera, a mother of five, said her family is low-income and used to rely on the stove as a means to get warm until she got “unbearable” headaches. She said she is now borrowing a small heater and tries to make do by bundling up her kids in layers and blankets.

“People can also contact the Extreme Weather Task Force at 211 if they need extra blankets,” said Shanks.

Grace Ortiz with Adult Protective Services gave ABC-7 a peak at the Extreme Weather Task Force’s supply. “They’re going fast,” said Ortiz.

She said families in need should call 211 and request a blanket to see if they qualify. “You have to be elderly, disabled, on state benefits or social security, or have infant children,” said Ortiz of the requirements. She said they have already had more than 170 requests and are running out of blankets.

People interested in donating a blanket can drop them off to any of the city’s fire stations.