As cold winter air begins to make its way into northeast Georgia, a local fire official has urged people to take caution when using a space heater or fireplace for the first time since last winter season.
Lt. Steven Rose, public information officer with Barrow County Emergency Services, said heating safety is important due to an increase in structure fires during colder months.
“According to the National Fire Prevention Association, this time of year, December, January, February coming up, about one-half of the structure fires in America occurred during those three months,” Rose said. “About one in five home fire deaths involve a piece of heating equipment like a space heater.”
Rose said these incidents can be prevented by following a few safety tips when operating a space heater.
First, space heaters should be at least three feet away from any flammable objects while they are in operation.
“Bedding, curtains, furniture, anything like that,” Rose said. “That also includes heating sources for animals too. We’ve had in the past two years at least three fires that I can think of that were started by people trying to keep an animal warm.”
Rose said you should also avoid plugging in more than one heating device at a time at a single outlet. For example, aside from a space heater, this includes devices like a hairdryer or iron.
“If you try to plug in more than one heating device at a time, it can overload that outlet,” Rose said. “Try to avoid the use of extension cords so that the space heater plugs directly into a well.”
Consumers should look for an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) label on heating devices, which indicates that they are safe for use.
Those using a fireplace or wood-burning stove to stay warm during the upcoming cold months should also take note of several safety tips to avoid danger.
“We definitely encourage everyone to have their chimneys inspected each year,” Rose said. “That would go a long way in preventing not only chimney fires but also fires that can spread into the home up into the attic.”
Ashes from a fire should be stored in a metal container with a lid at least ten feet away from the structure, Rose said.
“We run fires occasionally where people say, ‘I had a fire last night, and I cleaned out the ashes and put them outside,’ but hours later ... there could still be just one ember, and that’s all it’s going to take to start a fire,” Rose said. “The wind picks up outside and can rekindle that ash and start a fire.”
The type of wood being burned is also important for fireplace safety, as Rose says fireplace users should stick to hardwood.
“The wood of like a pine, or anything that is what’s called a softwood or has a resin base, when it burns it’s going to deposit the creosote into the chimney, which is going to greatly increase the chance of fire,” Rose said.
At the end of the day, even when following all of the safety tips Rose has mentioned, he said your house should also have fire alarms and carbon monoxide alarms installed to alert you in case of an emergency.
