A lot of the work firefighters do is preventative education in order to reduce the risk of fire in homes and businesses around the country. Each season brings its own hazards, and recently firefighters took the time to address one of the most common fire risks of the winter season. As the temperature drops with the arrival of winter, most people begin to think of ways to keep their homes warm and pull out space heaters. Space heaters can be a great way to quickly warm up a room and maintain a comfortable temperature level, but they can also be dangerous when they are not used properly. Because of the power level required to operate a space heater, it is important to always pug a space heater directly into a wall socket and never use a power strip. Power strips are potential fire hazards and can overheat, short out, and even cause fires.
Firefighters in Oregon are working to educate local homeowners and residents about the dangers and safety precautions they need to take when using a space heater in the home. Using social media as a way to reach as many residents as possible, a post was made by the fire department in Umatilla County Fire District #1 to address these dangers. Facebook is often used to reach out to the community about seasonal fire hazards and the conversation and interaction this specific post had attest to the effectiveness of using this platform. Local residents responded positively, thanked the station for the information and warning, and others even commented about their own experiences using space heaters. Many times the department will post safety information like this after dealing with fire hazard issues while on the job. Any opportunity to prevent the same thing from happening twice is the perfect chance to share these types of posts.
Among some of the precautionary information shared were general safety tips, best practices, and stats related to the small home appliances. While the warning to avoid using the space heaters on a power strip was the key information shared, leaving a space heater in operation unattended was also a huge risk factor. These devices should always be monitored while in use to limit the chance of fire. It is also important that you do not operate a space heater too near flammable materials that could overheat and catch fire. These basic safety practices significantly reduce the chance for fire, but also mean that if an accident does happen and a fire ignites, you are aware of it and able to safely evacuate and call for help. Space heaters are able to generate a significant amount of heat, enough to reach five to six hundred degrees in some models, but as long as you do so safely they are perfectly fine to operate in your home.
