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Now is the best time to check your space heaters, wall heaters and any other heat source that you may use during fall and winter months to make sure they are safe for use.  Fall and winter is when we see the most structure fire calls because of dirty heaters that have caught on fire.  

Heaters can catch fire due to many things, but one common reason is having flammable items such as couches, chairs or laundry to close to the heaters.  


The NFPA offers these tips for electric space heater safety:


-Require a three-foot childfree zone around space heaters.

-Supervise children when a space heater is going.

-Put the “space” back in space heater: Give it ample personal space—three feet of it—from anything else.

-Make sure the unit has no broken or malfunctioning parts.

-The unit should always be on a flat, solid surface.

-Use only a unit with an automatic shut-off so that it shuts off if knocked over.

-Never use extension cords.

-Never leave a space heater on when absent or asleep.

Here are the NFPA’s tips for fuel burning space heaters:

-Use only the fuel that the manufacturer specifies, and the proper grade if the fuel is liquid.

-Refuel the unit only outside or in a well-ventilated area.

-Keep a window open when the unit is in operation.

-Newly manufactured gas space heaters have a mechanism that shuts it off if it detects low ambient oxygen. If your old unit doesn’t have this feature, replace it.

-Allow at least five minutes to lapse if your gas heater pilot light goes out, before relighting, and light your match before you turn the gas on to avoid a flashback.

-Never light the unit if you smell gas from it. Instead shut off all controls, open the doors and windows, then call a gas service tech.

Knowing the reasons why a space heater can start a fire is just the beginning of safety