Baldwin Fire Department issues space heater warning

The Baldwin Fire Department has warned residents to take precautions when using space heaters after the device sparked a recent blaze in the community. Peter Ortiz, Baldwin Fire Department chief, urged Baldwinites to follow these guidelines:

keep heaters 3 feet away from anything that can burn;

choose a heater with overheat protection;

place the heater on a solid, flat surface;

make sure the heaters has an auto shut-off heater so it turns off if it tips over;

never block an exit with a space heater; and

turn them off when you leave the room or go to bed.

The warning was issued one day after a house fire broke out on the second floor of a Henhawk Road residence on Jan. 21. There were no injuries reported and the blaze was quickly extinguished by firefighters, according to Baldwin Fire Department spokesman Jerry Brown. Preliminary investigation shows a space heater on the second floor was the possible cause of the fire, Brown said.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, heating equipment — such as space heaters — are the second leading cause of U.S. home fires and the third-leading cause of fire deaths. The organization said 53 percent of home heating fires were the result of equipment being kept too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattresses or bedding.

Between 2011 and 2015, portable and stationary space heaters accounted for more than two of ever five U.S. home heating fires and five out of six home heating fire deaths. “Space heaters can be effective tools for providing added warmth at home,” Lorraine Carli, vice president of the NFPA’s Outreach and Advocacy Division, said in a January 2018 statement, “but it’s critical that people follow basic precautions to ensure that they’re used safely.”

The months of December, January and February are the leading months for home heating fires, the NFPA said, and the peak time for such blazes is 4 to 8 p.m.