Gravois Fire Protection District Fire Chief Ed Hancock is warning citizens to keep an eye on electric space heaters, after a plug-in heater filled a room with smoke and nearly caught fire in a local home the day after Christmas.
Firefighters responded to an emergency 911 call to a report of a smoke detector sounding, smoke filling a room and electric arcing at 1:04 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 26 to 30891 Ottersway Road. According to Chief Hancock, the homeowner was at home, sitting in a wheelchair in a room separate from the heater, when he heard popping noises, and saw smoke billowing from the room. He called 911.
On arrival, firefighters discovered smoke filling a room and a malfunctioning electric space heater arcing. “It was the type of electric heater that plugs directly into a wall outlet without a cord,” Chief Hancock said. “The unit is marketed under the name 'Heat Hero' electric space heater.”
According to Chief Hancock, the unit did not trip the circuit breaker on the outlet. Firefighters unplugged the unit from the wall to check for damage and fire damage extension into the wall and removed the unit from the home.
The case was damaged from the excessive heat. “If you have one of these types of heaters, examine it carefully,” Chief Hancock advised. “It may have been caused by a bad unit or a faulty design. I cannot condemn the product, it was the first of its kind I have seen, and I have not had time to check it out.” The unit plugs into an electric outlet in the same way a night light does. “We were led to believe the homeowner was heating primarily with space heaters.”
There was no damage done to the residence, except for the smell of smoke and wires burning. The GFPD responded with five units and seven personnel.
Smoke Alarms Save Lives
“If he had not been home, or if he had been asleep, we would have had a house fire. The house was saved by a smoke alarm,” Chief Hancock said. “Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. If there is a fire in your home, smoke spreads fast and you need smoke alarms to give you time to get out.”
According to the National Fire Protection Association, NFPA, 96 percent of American homes have at least one smoke alarm, no smoke alarms were present, or none operated in two out of five (41%) of the reported home fires between 2003-2006. Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
Electric Space Heater Safety
The cold frigid temperatures of the winter months have many homeowners turning to alternate heat sources. Chief Hancock reminds citizens that portable space heaters were not designed to be used unattended. “We have responded to multiple house fire where the fire started in a well house where a space heater was being used to stop the water pipes from freezing “The worst thing you can do is plug a space heater into a power strip. Power strips were not designed for that kind of electrical load.”
“We had a several million-dollar home burn down in Porto Cima in Sunrise Beach because of a space heater,” Chief Hancock said. “It was put in an outside cat house that was up against the wall of the home. The cat got in and moved the heater around and the unit caught fire, caught the cat house on fire, and then the fire spread to the home. It was a complete loss.”
Space Heaters Blamed for 43% of US Home Heating Fires & 85% of Associated Deaths
According to NFPA, space heaters account for 43 percent of U.S. home heating fires and 85 percent of associated deaths. Heating equipment is the second-leading cause of U.S. home fires and the third-leading cause of home fire deaths. More than half (53 percent) of all home heating fire deaths resulted from fires that began when heating equipment was too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattresses or bedding.
“Space heaters can be effective tools for providing added warmth at home, but it’s critical that people follow basic precautions to ensure that they’re used safely,” said Lorraine Carli, Vice President of NFPA’s Outreach and Advocacy Division.
Carli says space heaters should be placed a minimum of three feet away from anything that can burn and must be turned off when people leave the room or go to sleep.
“Make sure children and pets are kept well away from space heaters at all times and remember that space heaters should never be left unattended,” said Carli. “When you’re ready to go to sleep, it’s time to turn off your space heater.”
The NFPA Recommends the following precautions when using alternate heat sources:
- Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
- Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
- Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
- Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
- Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
- Install wood burning stoves following manufacturer’s instructions or have a professional do the installation. All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
- Install and maintain CO alarms to avoid the risk of CO poisoning. If you smell gas in your gas heater, do not light the appliance. Leave the home immediately and call your local fire department or gas company.
- Never use your oven to heat your home.
