Written by Ben Cox – While this weekend may not feel like it, we are in fact entering the colder part of the year. That means, space heaters will be coming out of storage sheds and back closets and we all need to be reminded of the do’s and don’t’s of space heater use, lest we burn the place to the ground!

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Brownwood Fire Marshall Buddy Preston says “3 feet of clearance is key. Also, plugging electric ones into a single outlet is another main thing in order to stay safe. If people plug too many things into the same circuit, it’ll overload and possibly cause a house fire. The electrical wiring doesn’t go straight to the breaker box. It runs all through the walls and if you have a TV, a heater, and a whole bunch of other things plugged in it’ll overload.”

According to Consumer Reports, around 25,000 house fires and 300 deaths are attributed to space heaters yearly, due to improper placement of the heaters.

Keep heaters on a hard, level, non-flammable surface. Make sure there is a three foot area around the heater that kids and pets cannot enter. Avoid use in workshops if they will be near paint cans, gas cans or anything flammable. Turn it off when you go to bed, and do not plug more than one device into the same outlet as the heater. Smoke alarms in every level of your home is also recommended.

The consumer group suggests several things to consider as you shop for a new space heater: Certification, Shut Off Features, Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter plug and a Sturdy Cord.

The Department of Energy recommends a heater with a tip over safety switch, which will shut the unit off it it ends up face down in the floor.

Temperatures are in that tricky, early winter stage where it’s warm during the day, but very cold at night. With over night temperatures in the 30’s and 40’s, it is tempting to leave those heaters on all night. But the safer thing is to have them on right up until bed time, and throw another blanket on the bed to stay warm.

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