Staying warm safely with space heaters

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — As temperatures drop, many are turning to space heaters to keep warm.  

But they can pose a serious and even deadly threat if not used properly. 

Andy Matelski is a Probationary Firefighter with Wilmington Fire Department.  

He said that Wilmington Fire Department doesn’t receive many calls for space heater fires. But the possibility of getting that call does increase during the colder months. 

“If your space heater has any damage, just make sure you get it replaced. You don’t want to replace or fix anything on that, just go ahead and get a new one,” Matelski said. 

WFD recommends keeping space heaters at least three feet away from any walls and never leaving it on when you’re not home or while you’re asleep.  

The department said if you have children or pets, you may want to consider purchasing a heater with tip over protection. There’s also one very important thing the department said you can do to increase your chances of staying warm safely.  

“Just make sure that you plug them directly into the wall. Don’t use extension cords and make sure if you have multiple, you just plug them in different spots of your house so that they’re not all running off of the same,” Matelski said. 

He said this past weekend, Wilmington Fire responded to a call involving a space heater.  

It happened at a home on Harnett St. in Wilmington.  

Matelski said the cause, two space heaters being plugged into an extension cord in the same room.  

The bathroom and items in the bathroom burned. But luckily there was no further damage or injuries. 

It is also recommended to only use space heaters for a short period of time. 

They should not be left on for hours.