PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: October 25, 2010
From the Office of Interim Chief Mark Finucane
Contact: Acting Operations Assistant Chief Jason Powell
423.975.2844 (o)
423.483.5819 (c)
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HOME HEATING SAFETY
Check your Wall Heater Setting
In January of this year the Johnson City Fire Department ran a call to a residence where a sofa had been placed in front of a wall heater. This type of heater had a thermostat labeled as "High", "Med", "Low", and "No Heat". Even though the thermostat on the heater was in the "No Heat" position, the heater still came on. This was possibly due to the fact that the heater was on an exterior wall and the colder outside temperatures. Some wall heaters are never in the "Off" mode. Many wall heaters have only "High", "Med", and "Low" settings, thus they are never in "Off" mode either.
It is easy to place combustibles in front of these heaters during the warmer months and forget about the consequences until the colder months arrive. Fire codes require that no combustibles be closer than 3 feet of a heater of any type. While only 32 percent of home heating fires involve space heaters, they are involved in 79 percent of home heating fire deaths, according to the report Home Fires Involving Heating Equipment released by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Heating equipment continues to be the second leading cause of home fires behind cooking and the second leading cause of home fire deaths behind smoking.
The Johnson City Fire Department and the NFPA is urging caution and asking the public to practice safe heating behaviors as the peak time for home heating fires continues from October through March. Half of all home heating fires occurred in December, January and February in 2003-2007.
“Half of fatal home space heater fires started because something was too close to the heater and ignited. Keep heaters and things that can burn at least three feet apart,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of communications. “Heating fires and the deaths they cause can usually be prevented with awareness and a few simple actions.”
The leading factor contributing to space heater fires in general was heating equipment too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattress, or bedding. Other leading factors contributing to home space heater fires were failure to clean, which is principally related to creosote build-up in chimneys, and leaving an operating space heater unattended.
“Whether your chimney supports a wood or coal stove or just a fireplace, be sure to have it cleaned and inspected at least once a year to reduce your risk of having a fire,” added Carli. “And always turn off a portable space heater when you go to sleep or leave the room.”
In 2007, U.S. fire departments responded to 66,400 home structure fires that involved heating equipment. These fires killed 580 people, injured another 1,850, and were responsible for $608 million in direct property damage
Safety tips
- 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 “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
- Never use your oven to heat your home.
- Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the 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.
- Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
- Test smoke alarms monthly.
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