Protecting Utah
Warning: Your Space Heater Could Cause a Fire
The Utah State Fire Marshal’s office wants to pass along the warning recently sent out by a local fire department in Oregon to residents: Warning: power strips are not equipped to handle the high power needed for space heaters.
The weather is getting colder and people will begin pulling out their electric space heaters. These units are not designed to handle the high current flow needed for a space heater and can overheat or even catch fire due to the added energy flow,” the department said.
The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) backs up the fire department’s claim, saying space heaters should be plugged directly into the wall and no other devices should be plugged into the same outlet as the heater.
Additionally, the ESFI noted that you should:
- Never leave a space heater unattended;
- Turn the space heater off when you leave a room or go to sleep.
- Keep space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn.
- Keep space heaters out of high traffic areas and doorways.
- Always place space heaters on level, flat surfaces.
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