ORLANDO, Fla. – With overnight temperatures dropping below 40 over the next few days, Orange County Fire Rescue wants to make sure everyone is safely heating their homes during the cold snap.
Nationwide, portable heaters are responsible for about 46% of house fires and firefighters say it’s something that can be easily prevented.
OCFR highlighted common mistakes that happen when it comes to space heaters.
Firefighters stress the heaters need to be plugged directly into the wall and not through an extension cord or surge protector.
Space heaters can also easily be tipped over, so they need to be equipped with an automatic shutoff switch. When it comes to placing a heater in your home, it needs to be away from anything that can burn.
“One of the things we want to encourage is that they keep the space heaters at least three feet away from walls, flooring, any material that can possibly catch fire,” said Lauraleigh Avery, division chief with OCFR.
Space heaters should be kept away from pets and children and unplugged when not in use.
Firefighters also said you should never use your oven to heat your home as that can easily spark a fire.
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