Heads Up! Beware The Danger Above!

Hope everyone has escaped the Blizzard of 2016 relatively unscathed! 
As the snow melts and then re-freezes, there is another potential danger you and your loved ones need to be aware of. The picture below highlights a couple of concerns you should note.

Our first concern relates to around your home and any buildings of any size. That concern is falling snow and ice from rooftops which could come crashing down any time and without any warning.

In the photo below, you can see a couple of those icicles are of a significant size and appear to be quite pointed. Not something you want to come crashing down on your head or that of a loved one. Additionally large chunks of snow, which can be heavy due to melting and re-freezing, can be prone to sliding off a roof and come crashing down. Please be aware of this as you are out and about.

We do not recommend anyone get up on their slippery roof to fix this. One easy way to limit the buildup as the snow melts is to ensure you have cleared snow away from your downspouts so that the runoff flows down and away from your home. 

The other issue here is one of a potential Ice Dam. That is one beyond us but we certainly want to make you aware of. Go here to learn more about Ice Dams. As with the previous issue, we do not recommend anyone get up on their slippery roof to fix this. There are companies out there who potentially handle this type of situation.

Continue to be safe as we all continue to clean up and move forward from this historic storm!

Water Leaking Into Home Contributes to Fire

Chief Richard Bowers of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service wants you to know that a serious fire occurred in Montgomery County yesterday. The fire last night was caused by an accidental electrical malfunction/failure of the electrical panel. A contributing factor was melting snow that leaked into the home and found its way to the electrical panel in the basement. Please take a moment to review the safety tips below to prevent this type of incident from happening to you and your loved ones.

• Clear areas around downspouts and drains so water from melting snow can flow away from your home. It also ensures melting snow does not accumulate and freeze in your gutters and downspouts thus creating an “ice dam.”

• Please Do NOT attempt to access your roof to clear the snow. Any person on the roof or performing work on the roof from below is risking injury and damage to the roof and house. It is important to contact licensed, bonded, and insured professionals to carry out this job!

• A sign that water may be impacting your electrical panel is if various breakers in the panel trip one or several times for no apparent reason. Turn your main circuit breaker to OFF and call a licensed, bonded, and insured electrician.

• If water has leaked into your home and threatens to come in contact with your electrical panel, please immediately turn your main circuit breaker to OFF. Contact a licensed, bonded, and insured professional company that deals in water damage and restoration to fix the leak as well as a call a licensed, bonded, and insured electrician!

• If your panel is sparking or you smell smoke or a burning odor, do NOT touch your panel! Immediately leave your home and call 9-1-1 from a safe location!

As always, please remember that working smoke alarms save lives! Test your alarms to make sure they are working! Make sure your family plans and practices a Home Fire Escape Plan! Know TWO ways out of every room and pick a meeting place outside where everyone will gather. Once you are out, STAY OUT!

For additional information or questions, please contact: Bill Delaney, Community Life Safety Education - @ William.delaney@montgomerycountymd.gov

“Together We Can Save Lives And Prevent Injuries”