BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – We will soon be heading into some of the coldest temperatures of the season so far.
While we’re getting into the 30s already, we’ll have lows in the 20s by this weekend.
Unfortunately during the wintertime, fire calls tend to pick up. Birmingham Fire Lt. Catina Williams says a great number of them are due to space heaters.
While they can make a space more comfortable when temperatures drop, they do pose a hazard.
Lt. Williams says they need to be at least three feet away from flammable objects and they should never be plugged into extension cords because they can get overloaded and overheat, causing sparks or fires. Power strips should also be avoided.
Instead, you are encouraged to plug them directly into wall outlets. The same goes for heated blankets.
Lt. Williams says if you have to use a heating device, you should buy one approved by the Underwriters Laboratory.
“The newer space heaters, the great thing about those, they have built in resources to shut them off so if they get knocked over, they go off,” she said. “So the newer ones are great!”
Lt. Williams says you should never leave a room or go to sleep with these heating devices on and just in case of a fire, make sure you have working smoke detectors so you can be alerted. The fire department not only gives them out, they install them too.
To sign up for a firefighter to install your detector, you can call (205) 254-2995.
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