LOVELAND, OH (FOX 19) -
The Northeast Fire Collaborative, which includes departments from
Blue Ash, Mason, Sharonville, Sycamore and Loveland-Symmes, says 70% of
the fires they encounter in the winter months come from one source.
"Without a
doubt, space heaters are the number one cause of home fires during this time of
year from December to March," said Loveland-Symmes Deputy Fire Chief,
Andrew Knapp.
It could take as little as three minutes before a fabric touching
a space heater can go up in flames.
Authorities say the first safety rule is to
read the manufacturer's instructions before you turn the unit on. "The
first four pages of [many instructions] have the dangers and the warnings
written all over it," said Knapp.
Other safety measures include:
- Keep space heaters at least 3
feet from furniture or combustible materials.
- Never connect them to extension
cords which may overload a circuit.
- Space heaters are designed to provide
temporary warmth, not over long periods of time.
- Keep space heaters away from
water, including the bathroom.
- Always crack open a window to improve
ventilation.
"The modern smoke detector is absolutely the one thing that
has saved more lives than anything else," said Knapp.
However, what if someone rents and
doesn't own the home?
"You can absolutely demand that your landlord
provide you with some type of smoke detector," said Knapp. "They're required by
law to install working smoke detectors into the building." It is the
tenant's responsibility, however, to replace the battery when needed.
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