State Fire Marshall Advises Space Heater Precautions As Winter Storm Approaches

As a large swath of the nation braces for this weekend’s predicted winter storm, State Fire Marshal Kenneth Tyree urged West Virginians to take precautions when using space heaters to heat their homes.

“Keeping things that are combustible or would burn outside of three feet of wherever you have this appliance, making sure it’s on a flat surface, making sure that it’s not within the path of travel to and from,” Tyree said.

Space heaters should only be plugged directly into an outlet, or a heavy gauge surge protector, to avoid overloading the home’s circuit breaker.

Tyree also says people need to be familiar with their space heater and its built-in safety mechanisms, or lack thereof. 

For example, newer models may automatically turn off if knocked over, while older models do not and could cause a fire.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that more than 1,700 residential fires every year are associated with the use of space heaters, resulting in more than 80 deaths and 160 injuries nationally.

Tyree also advised residents who may use fuel-fired appliances to be sure they have proper ventilation.

“There’s times when people are using unvented appliances, so please make sure that they have operating smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms within these spaces,” Tyree said. “The real reality of carbon monoxide, they call it a silent killer, because you can’t smell carbon monoxide and you can’t see it, and that’s why it’s important to have carbon monoxide alarms.”