Boone County Fire Protection chief shares winter safety tips as house fires spread faster
Euphenie Andre
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
As winter approaches, the Boone County Fire Protection District’s fire chief is reminding residents to check their safety devices.
Scott Olsen said now is the time to make sure all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working to give families the early warning they need.
“Fires burn a lot quicker, a lot faster now and are deadlier. You don’t have much time anymore to get out of a structure that’s on fire,” Olsen said.
The U.S Fire Administration warn that today’s house fires move much faster than in the past. Modern furniture and home materials, often made from synthetic products, burn hotter and quicker.
From the start of this month, firefighters have responded to multiple fires across Mid-Missouri, some of them causing significant damage to homes. Officials said these incidents highlight how quickly fires can escalate from a small blaze to a life-threatening situation, leaving very little time to escape.
The U.S. Fire Administration notes the growing number of lithium-ion batteries in homes is another factor contributing to faster fires. These batteries are found in phones, laptops, power tools, e-bikes and other household devices.
“Back when I first started this business, a fire could take 15-to-20 minutes to really get going because of the types of products in our homes,” Olsen said. “Nowadays, it’s less than 5 minutes. You don’t have much time to get out, so you need every warning you can get. We encourage our citizens to take smoke detectors and CO detectors very seriously.”
Lithium-ion batteries can reach thermal runaway in as little as 15 seconds after the first sign of smoke, sometimes causing explosions.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued warnings and recalls for several household items over the past year. EVERCROSS EV5 hoverboards have been flagged for fire risks, and consumers are urged to stop using them and safely remove the lithium-ion battery packs, though the company has not issued a recall or offered a remedy.
Elide brand fire-extinguishing balls may fail to put out fires, creating serious burn and inhalation hazards, and the company has also not issued a recall. Honeywell recalled about 29,000 fire alarms and strobe units due to malfunctioning sounders and strobes that could prevent them from alerting users in a fire.
Additionally, Best Buy has recalled more than 187,400 Insignia air fryers and air fryer ovens, which can overheat, melt handles, or shatter glass, posing fire, burn, and laceration hazards.
You can learn more about product recalls and safety alerts here.