As cold weather moves in, ‘Fire Season’ heats up for Atlanta Fire Rescue

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Parts of metro Atlanta could see their first freeze of the season this weekend, and Atlanta Fire Rescue officials say the department usually sees its highest call volume in the colder months.

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Capt. Andrew Anderson with Atlanta Fire Rescue said the department notices the increase in calls when temperatures drop.

“This is definitely something that we notice,” he said. “It’s what we call ‘Fire Season.’”

Anderson said it is not unusual for some departments to see nearly half of all annual calls in the winter months of December through February. That is why the AFR calls it “Fire Season.”

“Electrical fires, heating appliances, chimneys, outside burning - they all contribute,” Anderson said.

Space heaters are one cause when combustible items are placed too close to the heater. Running too many extension cords or placing power strips too close to blankets, carpets or other flammable items is another.

“Using extension cords beyond their scope of what they’re intended to be, so if that’s too long, running them underneath multiple layers of fabric or carpet... any exposed wires that are on those extension cords can definitely be dangerous,” Anderson said.

The flue of a chimney can catch fire, and a person might not notice before it is too late.

“One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to chimney fires is that if your chimney is on fire, it will be obvious,” Anderson said.

An easy solution is to have your chimneys checked once per year.

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