4 Essential, Life-Saving Safety Tips for This New England Cold

For the next couple weeks, it looks like New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts are going to be in a cold snap with temps in the teens overnight and in the 20s and low 30s during the day.

Here are some essential, potentially life saving, cold snap safety measures to abide by.

According to weather.org, we are getting some really cold weather and if you're like me, you like to crank your heat.

Mass.gov has issued some safety features for heating safety. Here are some of them:

Tragic New Hampshire Accident

In Wakefield, New Hampshire, the day after Christmas, 2024, four people died because their house did not have carbon monoxide detectors in their lakeside home. What a tragedy. That could have been me and my family or you and yours.

#1 Make Sure You Have Working Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Make sure you have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed on every level of your home. A good way to check them is twice a year when we have to change the times. If that goes away (and it might) check them on January 1 and July 1. Easy to remember.

#2 Professionally Clean Your Fireplace Yearly

If you burn wood in a fireplace, make sure to have that thing professionally cleaned every year. There might be structural damage that you may not even be aware of.

Just like your fireplace, have your heat burning furnace professionally cleaned every year. It can save you potential tragedy.

#3 Turn Your Space Heaters Off at Night

Do not use space heaters as your number 1 heating source and don't leave them on throughout the night. Turn them off before you go to sleep. Keep them 3 feet away from anything and use only heavy duty extension cords to power them.

#4 Smell Rotten Eggs, Leave the House

If you smell something like rotten eggs, leave your house. That particular smell may be a gas leak and you need to get outdoors as soon as possible and call 911 to investigate.

In Massachusetts Homes, it is Illegal to Use Kerosene Heaters

Kerosene is an inexpensive way to throw heat, but it is NOT for inside of your home. Maybe if you are eating at one of those outdoor tables at a restaurant, but they are not for your home. Too dangerous.

Summer will be here before we know it!