SARASOTA-MANATEE (WSNN) – We’re not exactly used to the cold here in Florida, and maybe you’ve already brought out your puffy jacket and space heater. But, Suncoast Fire Chiefs have a warning for you.
The temps are dropping and if you’re trying to defrost, Southern Manatee Fire Brian Gorski says, do it carefully.
“This time of the year is our peak for home fires as a result of space heaters, as wells as from fireplaces,” Gorski said.
Gorski says neglecting to clean and inspect your fireplace is a recipe for flames.
“What happens is it gets a build-up of creosote within their fireplace in the chimney,” Gorski said.
And Gorski says when you shop for a space heater, look for a label from a credible testing lab like underwriters laboratory, or UL. The heaters should also be one that shuts off automatically if it tips over.
“Keep them at least three feet or greater from any couches or any type of furniture and face away from them,” Gorski said.
“If you have ignitable material around them, too close to the space heater itself, you will catch that on fire and then cause a fire,” Sarasota County Fire Chief Michael Regnier said.
Regnier says using a fireplace without ventilation could to carbon monoxide buildup.
“Older homes use fuel to heat their home, and anything that burns can cause carbon monoxide, and can be a problem,” Regnier said.
So make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector in your home.
“In extreme cases, it can cause death,” Regnier said. “In the initial cases, you’ll get a headache, you’ll get sleepy, those types of things.”
Gorski says December was their busiest month last year with about 16 Carbon Monoxide and Hazmat calls.
And let’s not forget candles.
“People like to have candles during this time of year, and those candles either get too close to drapery or other types of material and cause a fire there as well,” Regnier said.
Chief Regnier says they have a lot of false alarms too. If you smell something burning after turning on your heater for the first time in about nine months, he says that’s the normal burnout of dust on heat strips. Of course, if the smell lingers, call 911.
Let’s stay safe and warm this holiday season.