As the temperatures get colder out there, many people are likely going to be bringing out their space heaters to keep warm. But with the heaters, there are a few things to keep in mind.
The Lima Fire Department says that it's important to keep flammable objects at least three feet away from the space heater to avoid starting a fire. People should also be sure to keep those heaters from falling over and have working detectors inside your home.
"If you have kids or grandkids or pets running around the house, it’s easy for them to knock over a heater, and the heater can cause a fire because it wasn’t tip-protected, which means it’ll go off when it tipped over or leaned over," said Warren Pughsley, an inspector with the LFD. "We just want you to be safe upfront, and the priority with that is to make sure that you have working smoke alarms in the area. Even if you do have a fire and you don’t have a working smoke alarms, how are you going to be warned, and how are you going to know."
The Lima Fire Department says they've also had reports of people without access to heat starting fires in homes to keep warm. They advise that people avoid doing so to prevent fires from damaging property.
