Space Heater Safety
As temperatures drop, the number of space heaters being used is going up. But firefighters are urging you to keep a close eye on how you use them. This is the time of year firefighters dread the most. They say right now is the calm before the storm… before fires caused by space heaters begin. But we have tips to help keep you safe. A space heater is a bonus source of heat during the cooler weather. But if you’re not careful, it could cause a fire. “Say discarding clothes, or piling up clothes in a certain area and you turn that space heater on and the bed is in the dead center location of the room so it’s hard to get that 3 to 5 feet away from combustibles,” Said Montgomery fire investigator, Buddy Fulton. Another thing to look for — make sure your space heater has an automatic “off” switch if the heater falls over or is running for an extended period of time. Fire fighters are also urging people not to use your ovens or stoves to warm your house. Fulton says it’s best to plug the heater directly in the outlet. You can also use a surge protector, but its best not to plug in anything else. If you choose to use an extension cord, it’s important to check how much power your extension cord can hold. For example, if one pulls 13 amps and you plug in two of space heaters, 7 amps each, you’ll cause a fire. So remember to shut it off when it’s not under supervision… “But if we have old space heaters and the knobs are not in good use and you can’t tell whether it’s on or off, it’s time to go purchase a new one,” Said Fulton. Meanwhile, shoppers are sweeping aisles… “We’ve sold approximately 200, 250 of these units in the past 2 or 3 days, that’s been the increase in demand. As you can see all of our overhead… this was all full Monday,” Said Dennis Eaton, Assistant Store Manager at Lowes. Now there are open shelves, with employees trying to re-stock them as quickly as they can for shoppers like Earl Jones. “It was real chilly, real chilly and I just decided to come get a heater just for a small space,” Said Jones. Whether you’re warming up a small or large place a fire caused by a space heater can happen anywhere… a anytime… “[When] mid-winter months come up, you’re going to have a good number will probably be 20 to 50 [fires],” Said Fulton. Another thing to look for — make sure your space heater has an automatic off switch if the heater falls over or is running for an extended period of time. Fire fighters are also urging people NOT to USE YOUR OVENS OR STOVES TO WARM YOUR HOUSE.
