Space heaters spark regional fire concerns

Late December and early January saw a rash of house and structure fires in the region, among them a fatal house fire, chimney fire and structure fire in Winsted and a house fire on Barton Street in Millerton, New York, to which several Northwest Corner fire departments provided mutual aid.

Elsewhere in the region and state, in late December, a two-story house fire in Torrington displaced five residents and claimed a dog’s life, and four children perished in a fire that tore through a home in Somers on Jan. 2.

While the causes of several of the recent fires are under investigation, as temperatures drop and people feel the financial crunch of heating their homes, fire officials are warning consumers to be mindful when using portable space heaters, fireplaces and pellet stoves.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the top three causes of fires in homes are cooking, heating equipment and electrical malfunction.

“We discourage the use of portable electric heaters, but if a person is going to use them, we recommend following the manufacturer’s safety information and definitely keep them at least a minimum of 3 feet from any type of combustible materials,” such as sofas, beds, curtains and other furniture, said Winchester Fire Marshal Steven Williams. Some electrical units now come with an automatic shut-off feature should they be accidentally knocked over.

“The other important thing about electric heaters is you want to make sure to plug them directly into the wall outlet and not use an extension cord” or power strip, and never leave them on when you go to sleep or leave the room, he said. Children and pets should be supervised when around space heaters.

Whether portable or stationary, space heaters account for 82% of home heating fire deaths, according to latest statistics from the National Fire Protection Association.

Williams also suggested using seasoned firewood, which is dried for about a year, in wood stoves or fireplaces. “With fresh-cut wood there’s a lot of moisture, and it burns a lot smokier and contributes to the build-up of creosote.”

He stressed the importance of installing and maintaining, smoke alarms, as well as carbon monoxide detectors, on every level of the home, as the devices can detect odorless and potentially deadly carbon monoxide leaks from gas heaters or wood pellet stoves.

Under no conditions, said fire officials, is it safe to use a portable propane heater with an LP tank indoors, such as those commonly used to fire up grills. Propane heaters produce carbon monoxide, which can be deadly if inhaled in an enclosed space.

Pellet stoves should be cleaned each season before use, and chimneys need to be cleaned regularly to prevent the buildup of creosote, a dangerous byproduct that comes from burning wood and stays in the chimney until it’s removed.

Live Christmas trees that are beginning to dry out also pose a fire risk this time of year.

“A dried-out Christmas tree is like a roman candle: If it catches fire it goes up quickly. Don’t keep the tree any longer than you have to,” noted Williams.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, it can take just 30 seconds for a small flame to turn into a major blaze.

Above all, never attempt to put out a fire yourself, and designate a meeting place where everyone can gather outside the home, said Williams.

“You have about two and a half minutes to get out of the house before that fire really gets going. Fires today get hot quicker and a lot hotter than years ago,” he said, due to petroleum and plastic products commonly used in home furnishings.