Orient fire chief gives reminders on space heater safety

ORIENT — Orient, Lenox and Afton fire crews gave mutual aid to the Creston Fire Department for a residential structure fire in Creston Dec. 29. After the fire was put out, a Creston Fire official stated that the source of that fire was likely a space heater.

Orient Fire Chief Mike Swanson said his department has responded to its share of structure fires in the past several years. Some of them were caused by space heaters that were not being used responsibly.

“That’s always an issue as people are trying to supplement heat,” Swanson said.

Swanson acknowledged that most space heaters residents buy for their homes are electric, however heaters are fueled in other ways. Swanson encourages residents to buy heaters that are suited for the specific power source they will be plugged into. Also, he said to look for heaters that are UL (Underwriters Laboratories) listed, which means they have been tested and deemed safe in a laboratory before they are sold.

One of the most important factors is the placement of a space heater. Swanson said that space heaters should be placed at least 3 feet from any combustible, like paper, wood, rugs, plastic, clothing, etc.

“You don’t want to put them in doorways where they’re a tripping hazard or where pets or kids can trip over them,” Swanson said. “If you’re going to go to sleep, shut them off. It’s just what we’ve gotta do. It’s easy to forget because we don’t use them all year round.”

With colder weather can often come snow in Iowa. Swanson said that this time of the year is also a good time to remind residents that several minutes can be saved in an emergency if they remember to clear the snow from around fire hydrants that are near their property so that they can be easily accessed by firefighters. He also said that other fire hazards can be avoided by making sure snow is removed from around furnace vents on the outside of the house.

“Everybody’s gotta keep it in their head, remember [space heaters] are there and remember to shut them off — stuff like that,” Swanson said.