Officials Confirm Space Heater As Cause Of House Fire

Space Heater Causes House Fire (Added: October 05, 2009)

A space heater causes a weekend fire and NBC 4 has safety tips to protect your family. (more)

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Officials Confirm Space Heater As Cause Of House Fire

UPDATE: Fire officials confirm a space heater was the cause of a weekend house fire and use the fire as example of how space heaters can be dangerous if not used properly.

By: Tom Brockman | NBC4i.com
Published: October 05, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Officials confirmed a space heater was the cause of a weekend house fire and encouraged residents to be aware of safety precautions when using space heaters.

NBC 4 reported with the FAST FACTS during Fire Prevention Week 2009.

Columbus fire was called to 2024 Avalon Place just before noon Sunday.

A husband and wife were sleeping inside the East Side home when the fire started. They escaped the house fire without injury.

Fire officials confirmed Monday a space heater was to blame and not electronic components.

The house fire serves as an important reminder of how dangerous space heaters can be if not used properly, officials said.

Officials said dozens of Columbus families likely will fall victim to the same mistake as winter takes hold.

Meanwhile, hardware-store owners said they expect sales of space heaters to spike as residents search for an alternate source of heat to save money.

“They’re selling like hotcakes. We can hardly keep them in stock at the moment,” said Dave Miller with Gearhart True Value on the city’s West Side.

He also said many are buying the heaters without reading the instructions and ignoring his advice on how to use them properly.

“Goes right over their head,” Miller said. “They say, ‘We'll take care of it. We'll watch it.’ Then you find out they're buying fuses way larger than the house was designed for just to keep them from blowing and putting two or three of these heaters on one circuit. It’s just a fire waiting to happen.”

Often times, it does happen.

Columbus Division of Fire Battalion Chief David Whiting said he has seen it time and time again.

“Seventy-three percent of home-fire fatalities are usually related to heating type instruments, space heater types, electric heaters,” Whiting said.

Space heaters can be used with minimal risk, though, by following safety advice:

Make sure your electric space heater is UL approved and make sure you keep it at least three feet away from clothing, furniture or curtains.

Also keep it away from children.

Do not plug your space heater into an outlet with a lot of other devices or a substandard extension cord.

Also do not leave your space heater running overnight or nonstop.

Officials recommended you turn it off when you leave the room.

Finally, do not use a gas or kerosene heater in an unventilated room.

While fire officials encourage you to take all these precautions when using a space heater, they can’t emphasize enough the need for a smoke and carbon monoxide detector with fresh batteries.

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