Space heater safety concerns during cold Central Coast nights
CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION-TV) Sometimes extra blankets and cozy pajamas don’t get the job done. So many people will break out the space heaters for warmth. But fire officials say, heating devices should be used with caution.
“It's a combination of our safe practices and common sense." saidFire Marshal Mike DeMars, Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County.
When those overnight lows dip into the 30s and even 20s in valley locations, people turn to other means of heat. Some, however, don’t always use warming devices properly.
"That's one of the things we see is that people use space heaters to dry things off, like they'll take a wet towel, and draped over a space heater and turn it on to dry it. Now that's what your clothes dryer is for. Use it for its intended purpose,” continued DeMars.
And give that space heater, well some space. Even if it has a protective switch that turns the device off when knocked over, it can still be a hazard.
"If it falls over onto a carpet or some bedding, there's a chance that it may be hot enough to ignite it," added DeMars.
In the past few months, Central Fire has responded to three separate incidents. One sparked by someone who hung a blanket on a gas wall heater, the other two were in fireplaces.
"Don't leave a fire burning unattended because it could potentially, you know, get out of control. Only burn clean wood, don't burn garbage or hazardous materials or use flammable liquids. People don't realize fireball liquids produce flammable vapors,” DeMars.
Fortunately, in all three cases, there was only minimal damage and no injuries. Another piece of advice, don't burn charcoal in your fireplace. It can produce large amounts of carbon monoxide, which can be deadly.
This time of year is also considered burn season, which means fire agencies allow burning of yard waste. However, the recent lack of rain is a reminder to be extra careful with those flames.
The winter burning season is usually from November through April, and is declared by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Before you light those backyard fires, you need to make sure it's a permissive burn day, and you have safety procedures in place.
