Don't Get Burned: Fire Safety Tips For Strongsville Residents

STRONGSVILLE, OH — Summer may be the perfect time to catch up with friends around a crackling outdoor fire, but safety is paramount for enjoying those seasonal activities.

On Sunday, a two-story Strongsville home caught fire. When crews arrived to battle the blaze, they saw heavy smoke and fire outside the structure. Firefighters were able to bring the flames under control quickly.

Investigators believe the fire started from an outdoor chiminea-style fire pit. The pit was a few feet from a flower bed containing old much. On the evening of the fire, winds were blowing west at 5 mph and caught embers from the pit and pushed them into the mulch.

The embers became fire and the flames licked the vinyl siding of the house, the fire department said.

To prevent fires like this from happening, the city has the following safety codes in place:

• Recreational outdoor fires cannot be held within 25 feet of a home or combustible material.
• Portable outdoor fireplaces must be used as the manufacturers intended and cannot be used within 15 feet of a home or combustible material.
• All fires must be attended constantly until they are extinguished. A garden hose, dirt or sand, or water barrel should be close at hand for extinguishing the fire.
• Open burning is banned in Strongsville, meaning fires cannot be used for silviculture, range or wild life management, control or disease or pests or burning of construction debris or other waste.

The Strongsville Fire Department also provided the following safety tips for residents:

Build the fire at a safe distance in the open – This will prevent any embers from starting brush or kindling from catching fire.

Never burn construction lumber – materials such as plywood, MDF, pressure-treated boards and posts, or chemically treated wood pallets. Construction lumber is treated with chemical resins, adhesives and other substances that emit toxic fumes when burned.

Be prepared to put the fire out – Keep a shovel and water on hand, just in case. In an emergency, you can use the water to quench the fire and the shovel to smother the flames by throwing dirt on them if the fire gets too large. At the end of the night, make sure the fire is completely extinguished.

Never leave the fire unattended – People may run to get fixings for s’mores or be away from the fire to play cornhole or bocce. Make sure somebody is monitoring the fire, so disaster doesn’t strike.

While the fire’s embers can be mesmerizing, don’t let alcohol or drugs cloud your judgement around the fire! Everybody must be cautious to ensure nobody is burned.