Fire Marshal issues space heater safety warning ahead of cold snap

QUINCY, Mass. – Cold weather is here to stay this winter, and state fire investigators are raising concerns about the immense posed by space heaters.

In Quincy, a space heater is believed to be what started a fire on North Payne Street Tuesday morning.

“There were occupants in the house. Evidently the dog woke them up and they all got out,” Quincy Fire Lt. James Bailey said.

According to the Department of Fire Services, space heater fires are relatively rare, but about one in 15 of them are deadly.

“Especially the holiday season when there are Christmas wrapping and presents thrown all over the place. Using space heaters is a hazard especially when that's how you're heating your home,” a spokesperson for State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said.

The fire marshal recommends plugging space heaters directly into the wall, and keeping them at least three feet from anything flammable. Using an extension cord is dangerous because they can lead to overheating.

So far two deadly space heater fires have been investigated this year, according to the fire marshal’s office extension cords were used in both cases.

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