It’s starting to get frosty out there, and many people are dusting off their space heaters in an attempt to remain warm this winter. But if you’re using a power strip to get the space heater somewhere hard to reach, you’re probably going to want to rethink it.
One fire department is warning people about a winter safety risk that could put your family’s life in danger. Space heaters are popular portable heating devices, but the Umatilla County Fire District in Oregon wants to remind everyone never to plug a heater into a power strip.
The Fire District says power strips aren’t designed to carry the high energy flow space heaters draw and can melt down and start a fire.
“These units are not designed to handle the high current flow needed for a space heater and can overheat or even catch fire due to the added energy flow,” the department says in a Facebook post.
The district shared a picture of a melted power strip that had been used to power a space heater.
“This is an image from our fire station when a surge protector was misused. Even the firefighters need a lesson. The point comes down to proper use. Even the best equipment can fail if not used correctly. No one manufacture is at fault, yet it’s all about the end users ability to use the product safely.”
While the warning is simple, it could save lives. For those looking to take advantage of space heaters over the winter, you could do right by your family and home by never plugging it into a power strip.
The post went viral with more than 17,000 shares. Hundreds of people commented, some even sharing their own horror stories about space heaters.
“I had a household one catch on fire years ago,” one Facebook user said. “Good thing I woke up.”
“I never knew this,” another commented.
The Toledo Fire Department issued some advice for safely using a space heater, saying: “If you are operating them make sure you’re operating them in a safe manner. Make sure there’s a space at least a minimum of three feet around that space heater.”
They reminded people that a space heater should only be plugged directly into the wall, and always keep an eye on it when it’s in use. “A lot of these fires, kind of have a common theme,” they said. “Things were left unattended.”
Firefighters said heating elements in a space heater can get up to more than 500°F to 600°F. They reminded residents that a space heater should only be plugged directly into the wall, and always keep an eye on it when it’s in use.
From 2009 to 2013, heating equipment was involved in an estimated 56,000 reported U.S. home fires — accounting for 16 percent of the total, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFP). In those fires, 470 people died, 1,490 were injured and $1 billion in property damage was reported.
Source: AWM