Family escapes house fire in Culbertson

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

CULBERTSON, Nebraska -- No one was injured in a house fire confined to a bedroom in a home in Culbertson, Nebraska, during Wednesday Feb. 5's early morning extremely cold winter temperatures.

Fire Chief Rich Sensel said there was smoke damage throughout the rental home occupied by the Bobbie Williams family, but the fire's spread was controlled within the bedroom.

Sensel said the cause of the fire would be determined by the homeowner's insurance company.

Sensel said the temperature at the time of the fire, 12:30 a.m., was -13 degrees.

He said 17 firefighters and EMT's responded to the fire. "It was a joint effort ... a good job," he said, continuing, "Our fire and ambulance personnel both respond to any structure fire," Sensel said. "It's a safeguard for everyone concerned."

Sensel said the Williams family is unable to continue to live in the house, and is staying with relatives.

The American Red Cross reported that it responded to the needs of the Williams family following the fire in Culbertson, and that Red Cross personnel responded to eight other fires last week in Gothenburg, Kearney, Minden, North Platte, Paxton, Pender, Ralston and Scottsbluff. Based on each family's needs, the Red Cross is providing food, clothing and or a place for them to stay.

Liz Dorland of the Red Cross in Kearney said -- without commenting on the cause of any of the recent particular fires -- the Red Cross urges homeowners to use caution when heating their home and when trying to thaw frozen pipes.

FROZEN PIPES

- Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.

- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.

- When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe --even at a trickle- helps prevent pipes from freezing because the temperature of the water running through it is above freezing.

- Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.

- If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to temperature no lower than 55°F.

HEAT SOURCES

Heat sources such as space heaters, fireplaces or wood and coal stoves can pose a fire hazard. To reduce the risk of heating-related fires, the Red Cross recommends keeping anything that can burn such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least three feet away from heating equipment and fireplaces and to never leave these unattended.

HOME SAFETY TIPS

- Never smoke in bed.

- Talk to your children regularly about the dangers of fire, matches and lighters and keep them out of reach.

- Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep.

- The most effective way to protect yourself and your home from fire is to identify and remove fire hazards. About 65 percent of house fire deaths occur in home fires with no working smoke alarms. During a home fire, smoke alarms can save lives.

SMOKE ALARM SAFETY TIPS

- Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.

- Teach your children what smoke alarms sound like and what to do when they hear one.

- Once a month check whether each alarm in the home is working properly by pushing the test button.

- Replace batteries in smoke alarms at least once a year. Immediately install a new battery if an alarm chirps, warning the battery is low.

- Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years. Never disable smoke or carbon monoxide alarms.

- Carbon monoxide alarms are not substitutes for smoke alarms. Know the difference between the sound of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.

For more information on home fire safety, download the free American Red Cross First Aid App, which provides tips on how to prevent home fires and on severe winter weather safety. This free app is available on the Apple iTunes or Google Play stores. Find all of the Red Cross apps at redcross.org/mobileapps.

You can help people affected by disasters such as floods, tornadoes, fires and hurricanes, as well as countless crises at home and around the world, by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. To make a donation, visit redcross.org or call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767). Contributions may also be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

For more Red Cross fire safety and preparedness information visit www.redcross.org/homefires.

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