Portable Heaters Linked To Strongsville House Fires

STRONGSVILLE, OH — In the past two months, two Strongsville homes have been devastated by fires possibly started by portable space heaters.

The Strongsville Fire Department issued a warning to residents this week, urging them to remember safety precautions when using portable space heaters.

"They are all effective in heating up small spaces without having to worry about the cost of heating up the whole house. But often the use of these heating tools are taken for granted and proper safety recommendations are ignored," the department said in a statement sent to Patch.

Portable space heaters have become the second leading cause of house fires and the third leading cause of house fire deaths, according to the National Protective Fire Association.

"Within the last month, the City of Strongsville has had two significant structure fires resulting in almost $200,000 in losses. The official cause of these fires are still pending, however in both of these fires, the investigation surrounds the heaters and surrounding combustible products," Strongsville fire officials said.

Fire department officials offered the following tips for safely using a portable space heater:

• Turn off space heaters when you leave the room, house, or go to bed.
• Do not leave space heaters unattended.
• Only use equipment that has the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) mark which shows that the product has been safety tested.
• Turn off the space heater if the cord becomes hot.
• Plug space heaters directly into the socket instead of into an extension cord.
• Place the heater on the floor and never on a counter top or on furniture.
• Combustible materials such as blankets, curtains and newspapers can easily catch on fire. Be sure to keep these types of materials at least three feet away from space heaters.
• The use of kerosene or propane space heaters is strictly prohibited and illegal for residential use. They pose a high risk of death and injury, and generate carbon monoxide.

If you have any questions, contact Strongsville Fire and Emergency Services Department, Office of Fire Prevention at 440-580-3225 or visit the department at Strongsville Fire Prevention.