Though fires made frightening holiday headlines — five in the Tristate the first two days of the new year — officials say the number of home fires is actually down.

Firefighters prepare to enter a burning home Wednesday on Hickok Court in Delhi Township. There were no injuries, but damage was set at $100,000. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        “I say the same thing every December,” said Tim White, a computer systems analyst for the Cincinnati Fire Department. “There seems to be an awful lot of fires lately.”'

        That's because winter usually brings higher numbers of fires compared to other times of the year.

        “People are trying to get warm,” said District Chief Will Jones, who heads operations for the city's fire department. “They improvise. You have more people indoors and more indoor activity.

        “The holiday season, the decorating, the cooking.”

        In December, there were 110 fires in the city, compared to 128 in the same month in 2000.

        Thirty-seven were caused by fires left unattended, which could include anything from a candle to a fireplace left burning. Eight were from combustibles too close to a heat source — such as a Christmas tree too close to a fireplace or kerosene next to a wood burning stove.

        Houses burned in Colerain and Delhi townships Wednesday, bringing to five the number of major fires in the Tristate so far in 2002. There were no injuries in those fires, but in both cases the homes were severely damaged.

        Of the recent fires, two took the lives of two people, one on Dec. 31 and the other on New Year's Day. Fire officials say neither home had smoke detectors.

HOW TO AVOID FIRES

For wood-burning stoves:     • Follow all manufacturer instructions when installing the stove, stovepipe and chimney. Better yet, have it professionally installed.     • Clean and inspect all components at the start of heating season. If the stove is used frequently, clean it more often.     • Burn only dry, seasoned wood.     • Dispose of ashes in metal containers with tight lids.     • Never use flammable liquids to light a fire.     • Never store flammable liquids in area where a stove is being used.     • Never burn trash, large amounts of paper or small twigs.     • Never leave the doors open or screen off except to fuel the fire.     • Never dry clothing closer than three feet to the stove and keep all furniture away.     • Never leave small children in a room where a wood stove is in use. For portable heaters:    • Never place a heater where it blocks exit from a room.    • Read and follow all manufacturer directions and safety warnings.    • Before use, adjust the wick of kerosene heaters according to the manufacturer's specifications.    • Use only 1-K or “water clear” kerosene as fuel. Never use gasoline because it will cause an explosion.    • Even with no flame, heaters can ignite combustibles. Keep them a safe distance from furniture, draperies or bedding.    • Keep floors clean and free of loose combustible material such as papers, blankets and pillows.

FIRE CAUSES

Here are the causes of all 110 fires reported in Cincinnati in December:     • 37 were fires left unattended     • 13 were set deliberately     • 13, cause undetermined     • 8 from combustibles too close to a heat source     • 7 from someone who fell asleep (e.g., smoking)     • 6 from abandoned material such as matches     • 5 from mechanical failure (a machine overheating)     • 5 from a lack of maintenance (bare wires on a cord)     • 4 from a short circuit     • 3 from electrical failure     • 2 from part failure (as in a gas line)     • 2 from inadequate control of an open fire     • 2 property too close to heat source (one house catches fire from another)     • 1 overload     • 1 children playing with matches or a lighter     • 1 suspicious     Source: Cincinnati Fire Department

        “If there's anything you can do, stress the importance of a working smoke detector,” said Capt. Dan Rottmueller, a Cincinnati fire investigator. “They do save lives.”

        No statewide numbers were available for 2001 for Ohio, though officials say numbers of residential fires have been consistent since the 1980s. But the number of deaths have decreased dramatically since the late 1970s and early 1980s because of fire prevention programs and smoke detectors.

        “We've seen a rash of fires reported in the media over the past week, but I can't attach a statistic to that,” said Bill Teets, a spokesman for the Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office. “Most likely it would coincide with the first real cold snap we've had.

        “Unfortunately most fatal fires, and I would venture to say most of the recent ones, are preventable. Taking the time to follow good prevention methods and by having working smoke detectors and a practiced fire escape plan, tremendously reduces the chances of a fatal fire.”

        In fire prevention it's all about “detectors, detectors, detectors,” he said.

        In Kentucky, the number of fire fatalities declined from 67 in 2000 to 55 in 2001.

        “If this number holds up it'll be the best we've had in some years,” said Carvon Hudson, an Kentucky assistant state fire marshal.

        The first of Wednesday's blazes broke out just after 2 a.m. in the 8600 block of Pippin Road. Two people in the house escaped, but the fire caused about $60,000 damage, Colerain Township Firefighter Dave Jennings said.

        “The fire's still under investigation, but preliminary reports indicate that it's probably electrical,” he said.

        The second fire Wednesday was just after 11 a.m., when a home in the 1000 block of Hickok Court in Delhi Township was consumed by flames. The two occupants escaped as fire crews arrived.

        “The smoke detectors activated,” Delhi Fire Capt. Tim Keene said. “On the first crew's arrival, we had fire venting through the roof.”

        Though there were no injuries, at least a half-dozen neighbors were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation after smoke from the fire seeped into neighboring homes, Capt. Keene said.

        The fire remains under investigation. Damage was set at $100,000.

        Three fires on Tuesday remain under investigation.

        The first major fire of the new year was a fatality. Miles Naltner of Madisonville was pronounced dead shortly after being pulled from his burning Windward Street house. A second fire Tuesday, in the 4900 block of Hawaiian Terrace, left five families homeless, but there were no injuries.

        Also on Tuesday,Warren County firefighters battled a fire at Vork Motor Transport Inc. on Main Street in Franklin. No injuries were reported.

        Recent temperatures compound firefighting operations.

        Firefighters have to deal with such things as frozen hydrants and icy conditions; and extended cold snaps are prime for an increase in house fires, firefighters say.

        Such things as space heaters, overworked electric appliances, overloaded wood-burning fireplaces all increase the likelihood.

        “There are a lot of things that people do to make it through cold snaps,” Colerain Township Fire Chief Bruce Smith said. “When it's down below 20 degrees, that's when you start seeing an increase in these types of events.”
   

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