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Home heating sources potential dangers

PEYTON NEELY The Marietta Times Capt. Jack Hansis of the Marietta Fire Department checks on the smoke detectors free to the public at the fire house Thursday afternoon.

A fire can start as a small flame but rapidly grow into damaging everything in its path. During the winter months of December, January and February, residents are more prone to house fires due to heating sources, candles and cooking.

“Every minute really counts in the start of a fire,” said Capt. Jack Hansis of the Marietta Fire Department. “Everyone should have at least one working smoke detector on each floor and one in or out of each bedroom.”

The Marietta Fire Department gives a smoke detector to any residents in need. According to Hansis, they’ll even install it if you absolutely need assistance.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, one in five people are likely to have a fire in their lifetime. Thirty-two percent of fires are residential.

“Residential fires can happen for a number of reasons,” said Hansis. “During the winter months, heating sources seem to be the real cause for it.”

A Watertown fire in December took the lives of three residents. The State Fire Marshal’s Office said this fire is still under investigation, but according to an investigation by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, three space heaters were used to heat the home, one of which was a kerosene heater and the furnace in the trailer was only used to circulate air.

“The fire was ruled as undetermined,” said Kelly Stincer, public information officer for the State Fire Marshal’s Office. “Multiple sources could have been the cause for this fire however, we advise one space heater per circuit.”

All heating sources should be at least three feet away from things in the room that could ignite. The Marietta Fire Department advises residents to inspect chords and plugs before plugging something in.

“Space heaters should be turned off while sleeping,” said Stincer. “You could kick off a blanket while sleeping and cover the heater, starting a fire.”

Many new space heaters have a tip-off feature allowing automatic shut-off when the device is kicked over. Older heaters don’t have this feature and if they fall over, a fire may be the result.

Space heaters also need to be plugged directly into the wall. Twelve percent of residential fires are caused by heating sources.

“Space heaters aren’t meant to be a substitute for a furnace,” said Hansis. “A lot of fires we see are because these heaters are left unattended.”

Two out of every three residential fires in the winter are between the times of 5 to 8 p.m.

“We really want families to have a plan of action in case a fire ever happens,” said Steve Hill, firefighter with Marietta Fire Department. “Parents often overlook doing a fire drill at home but their children need to know what to do and where to go in case of a fire. Figure out ways out of rooms and what your meeting place is or how you’re going to call 911.”

The Marietta Fire Department advises if anyone needs any fire safety tips or has questions regarding fire safety, to call the station at 740-373-4631.

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