Space heater safety tips as temperatures drop across the Central Coast

As temperatures get lower and lower through the overnight hours in the Central Coast, some of you may be turning to portable space heaters for some much-needed warmth.

“I’m always concerned it’s going to catch fire or blow up but it hasn’t happened so far!” says Joseph Petsche of Salinas.

If so, there’s some do’s and don’ts you should keep in mind should you decide to bring them out from storage or maybe you’re thinking about purchasing a new one.

Firstly, if you happen to be pulling an old space heater out of storage, make sure it’s clean of any dust that may have built up. The combination of leftover dust and heat can potentially result in a fire.

Placement of the space heater is also something which can require some caution, too.

You should never place a space heater near a rug or anything which may be flammable. Also using a space heater in the bathroom or near anything that’s wet is a no-no.

Wherever the space heater lands should not be on top of an electrical cord either. Space heaters produce a lot of heat and cause a lot of damage to an electrical cord, if not other items nearby.

You should also look to plant your space heater next to a wall outlet. PG&E officials say you should never plug a portable space heater into a power strip or extension cord. A wall outlet is much more capable of handling the power that comes out of many space heaters.

Once the space heater is safely plugged into a wall outlet it’s time to sit back and relax and enjoy the warmth…but not while you fall asleep! Having a space heater on means keeping somewhat of a close eye on it. Sleeping overnight with a space heater on is definitely not advised by firefighters.

Darwin Lopez, a Prunedale resident, owns multiple space heaters. He offers this bit of advice for those who own one or are thinking of purchasing one.

“In the morning when you wake up and you’re not using it just disconnect it,” Lopez says. “I’ve done it so many times where I leave for work and I come home and feel ‘it’s so hot’ and I think ‘wow that was dangerous.'”

Monterey Fire Captain Jeff Field agrees. He says as of last year about 43% of in-home fires were caused as a result of improper use of a space heater or faulty space heaters. Some of which were fatal.

“It’s a tragic but totally preventable incident,” says Field.

Much of the modern space heaters will have a mechanism where if it tips over, it’ll automatically turn off.

Experts say if yours DOESN’T turn off but is advertised as being able to do so, give your manufacturer a call and try to get a new one.