The National Firefighters Protection Association says that almost half of all house fires that happen during the winter months are caused by space heaters.
“There are a lot of fires that get started because of space heaters, and it’s usually because they are too close to objects,” said Doug Turner, a firefighter and the spokesperson for the Parma Fire Department.
Safety experts say that the most important thing to watch out for is the placement of your space heater. A space heater should be placed on a level surface and should be kept a safe distance away from anything else in your home.
“The biggest thing with space heaters is they put them too close to upholstery or furniture,” said Turner. “They are called space heaters for a reason. They need space. You should have at least three feet in all directions away from the space heater to keep it safe. You should have a kid zone and a pet zone too where they are not allowed to get close to it.”
Firefighters say space heaters are most likely to cause fires when they are tipped over or when they get too close to something that is flammable.
Newer space heaters have safety features aimed at preventing this, but you still need to be careful.
“If you are going to buy a newer one, get one that has a mechanism in there, so that if it’s tipped over, it shuts off,” said Turner. “So, at least if a pet or someone knocks it over, it gets shut off. But it is important to remember if you leave the room or you go to bed, you make sure that you turn them off.”
source: cleveland19.com
