Medical & Fire Safety Professionals Remind Residents: Heat Your Home Safely This Winter

MAYWOOD, IL – Loyola Medicine and the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance (IFSA) say safety must be your top priority when heating your home this winter. Home heating is the second leading cause of home fires.

The IFSA recommends keeping anything that can burn at least three feet away from space heaters, fireplaces, wood stoves and radiators, making sure to pay close attention to kids and pets. Evenings are peak times for home heating fires. Always remember to turn off space heaters when you leave the room or fall asleep.

Make sure you have a home fire escape plan for emergencies that is conscious of older adults who may need extra assistance. “Older adults have a higher home fire death rate, and heating is the second leading cause of fire deaths for people ages 65 and over,” said IFSA Executive Director, Philip Zaleski.

Joshua Carson, MD, medical director of Loyola Medicine's Burn Center, recommends reaching out to your local burn center if you do experience a burn injury. "A burn doesn't have to be serious to call us for advice," he said. Signs of a serious burn include skin discoloration, especially if the skin turns white or black, swelling, loss of sensation and burns covering a large area of the body. If burns cover more than a hand-sized area or affect the face, eyes, hands or feet, seek medical treatment immediately.

According to Dr. Carson, it's important to have burn injuries treated at hospitals with dedicated burn units because as burn injuries become less common, most physicians are not trained for advanced burn care. "There's a lot that goes into treating serious burns. Some require specialized nurses or surgical care, occupational and physical therapists and psychosocial support throughout the treatment and recovery process. By going to a burn unit, you can count on the right experts being there to provide the appropriate care to treat serious burns properly," he said.

Loyola Medicine’s Burn Center provides the most advanced burn care to patients. The center houses an expanded hydrotherapy area for cleaning and dressing wounds and a rehabilitation area where physical and occupational therapists work with patients. An outpatient burn clinic is open five days a week to provide follow-up care. Loyola’s multidisciplinary team at the Burn Center includes specialists from pulmonology, wound management, nutritional support and physical rehabilitation.