Emergency Heating & Hypothermia Prevention

Use only fuel-burning heaters designed for indoor use. Kerosene heaters with oxygen depletion sensors, propane cooking stoves, and solid fuel stoves are safest. Keep heaters at least 3 feet from flammable materials. Never use outdoor grills, charcoal stoves, or car exhaust indoors. Store fuel outside in sealed containers away from living areas.

Outdoor heating appliances release deadly carbon monoxide indoors. Never operate them inside buildings.

Create a radiant heater from terra cotta pots and candles. Stack two unglazed pots (6-8 inches) inverted over lit candles in a metal bowl. Drill small drainage holes in the pot bottom. Heat radiates through clay, warming small spaces. Alternatively, heat rocks or sand in a metal container over fire, then place in room center covered with cloth to provide localized warmth.

Keep all heaters away from curtains, bedding, and paper. Never leave burning heaters unattended.

Carbon monoxide has no smell or color. Watch for headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, weakness, and chest pain. Symptoms worsen in cold, causing people to mistake CO poisoning for hypothermia. Ensure ventilation by cracking a window when using fuel heaters. If symptoms appear during heating, immediately stop the heater and move to fresh air.

Carbon monoxide kills silently. At 400+ ppm, loss of consciousness occurs in 1-2 hours. Ventilation is essential.

Close unused rooms and seal gaps under doors with towels. Hang blankets or plastic sheeting over windows to trap heat. Block air leaks around pipes and vents. Keep windows and doors closed except for brief ventilation. Gather people in the smallest room to concentrate warmth. Build insulated shelters within rooms using blankets, furniture, and cardboard.

Wear wool or synthetic base layer against skin—never cotton. Add insulating middle layer (fleece or wool). Wear wind-resistant outer layer. Cover head, neck, hands, and feet—these lose heat fastest. Keep spare dry clothes available. Change immediately if clothes become damp. Wear mittens instead of gloves to keep fingers together. Ensure socks are dry and not too tight.

Mild (90-95°F): Shivering, confusion, slurred speech, stumbling. Moderate (82-90°F): Shivering stops, lethargy, muscle stiffness, severe confusion. Severe (below 82°F): No shivering, unconscious, barely perceptible pulse, skin appears frozen. In severe cases, person may appear dead but can survive with proper rewarming.

Move person gently to warmth. Remove wet clothing. Wrap in blankets. Give warm drinks ONLY if person is conscious and can swallow. Never apply direct heat (hot water, heat lamps) or massage limbs—this causes afterdrop (further temperature drop). Rewarm slowly over hours. Monitor breathing and pulse. Transport to hospital even if unconscious; people have survived severe hypothermia.

Rough handling or rapid rewarming can trigger fatal heart rhythm disruption. Always handle gently.