Heating is the secondleading cause of home fires with four out of five deaths involving the use of stationary or portable heaters
The National Fire Protection Association points out that the structure fire in Bronx, New York earlier this month represents the second most deadly U.S. home fire in nearly 40 years and comes on the heels of a deadly blaze in Philadelphia.
Many fires occur in the winter heating season when portable or stationary heaters are used. The NFPA noted that the Bronx fire was the result of a space heater.
Heating equipment is the second-leading cause of U.S. home fires and the third-leading cause of home fire deaths and injuries.
Between 2014 and 2018, space heaters annually accounted for more than two out of five heating fires and the majority of heating fire deaths and injuries.
The NFPA recommends the following safety guidelines for safely heating homes during the winter months:
•Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heater.
•Have a three-foot “kidfree zone” around open fires and space heaters.
•Never use an oven to heat a home.
•Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment in accordance with local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
•Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
•Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
•Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
Deputy Chief Dave Moore, of the Springfield Township Fire Department, said residents also should “never plug a space heater into an extension cord or power strip–always plug it directly into a wall outlet.”
The deputy chief urges residents to have functioning smoke alarms in their home, noting they are “critical to fire safety.”
“We still partner with the American Red Cross to offer smoke alarms for our residents free of charge.”
Anyone interested in obtaining a smoke detector can call 419-865-4136 or send an email to info@stfd.com.
Another fire prevention measure that residents and businesses can take includes the installation of a sprinkler system.
According the NFPA, fire sprinklers significantly reduce the number of deaths, injuries and property loss in a fire.
And when going to sleep at night, the organization recommends closing the bedroom door. Open doors can intensify the spread of fire, smoke and toxic gases.
Fire departments throughout the United States respond to an average of 48,530 fires involving heating equipment per year from 2014-18, accounting for 14 percent of all reported home fires and 19 percent of home fire deaths.
These fires resulted in an annual average of 500 deaths, 1,350 injuries and $1.1 billion in direct property damage.
