Fire officials offer heater safety tips
By LARRY SHIELDSSALEM - Cold weather means it's the heating season and safety officials caution residents to use extreme care when using supplement heating devices like kerosene and electric space heaters.
The State Fire Marshal (SFM) investigators just concluded and investigation into a house fire in Gallia County that injured a 9-year-old boy on Jan. 2.
All other occupants escaped the home, which was equipped with working smoke detectors.
The investigation said the most probable cause of the fire was combustible materials too close to an electric space heater.
All other possible accidental and intentional causes were ruled out as part of the investigation.
Salem Fire Inspector Steve Mix agreed that the big thing with space heaters is people use them too close to furniture, drapes and other combustibles.
"Any heater should be at least three feet from walls, furniture and other things," he said, adding electric space heaters should not be used close to water sources either.
The fire marshal said that when buying a space heater, look for a control feature that automatically shuts off the power if the heater falls over.
It added, you should never leave a heater on when you are not in the room or when you go to sleep, and do not leave children or pets unattended around any heating source.
Mix said the biggest problem with kerosene heaters is accidentally contaminating them with gasoline. That can happen by using a non-approved can.
"That's the biggest thing," he said, explaining people should also be careful about filling containers with cold kerosene and bringing it inside.
"It expands," he said, "fill it to 90 percent full."
He also said leaving heaters unattended is dangerous.
A nine-year veteran of the department, Mix could not recall fire resulting from a space or kerosene heater in town, noting that apparently people are being careful.
The fire marshal issued these safety tips:
Unplug the heater when you are not using it.
Don't use an extension cord with an electric portable heater. The current to the heater could melt the cord and cause a fire.
Don't plug more than one heating device into an outlet.
Never use electric heaters near water as in your bathroom or near a water heater.
Kerosene heaters
To avoid the risk of fire even in normal operation you should place heaters several feet away from all furniture, curtains, papers, clothes, bedding and other combustible materials.
Remember that heaters have a constant open flame and should not be used in a room where there are flammable solvents, aerosol sprays, lacquers, gasoline, kerosene containers or any type of oil.
Larry Shields can be reached at lshields@salemnews.net
