With temperatures dropping, many people are turning to space heaters to warm their homes. Sikeston city Fire Marshall, Rick Colbert has a few warnings about this method.
Colbert says to make sure to have a three foot zone between heaters and children or furniture. But his number one tip for heating your home is to avoid using extension cords for space heaters and any appliances, as it could very easily create a fire.
“Fire will double in size every minute. By the time you know it and the smoke detector goes off, you’ve got a small fire,” says Colbert. “But within a minute, it’s going to be twice that size and then a minute later.”
Other winter heating tips include making sure your home’s chimney flue is clean before lighting a fire, and to install and check carbon monoxide detectors, if you are using gas as a means of heating your home.
Colbert says the department has already seen three heating-related incidents in the last month.