WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) – The Wausau Fire Department is reminding people to be careful when using space heaters in their homes.
The fire department recently responded to two fires caused by space heaters. The first fire was a result of a space heater being placed too close to combustible items like clothing and bedding. Several days later, fire crews responded to another fire caused by an overloaded electrical outlet. A space heater was plugged into a power strip, which was plugged into another power strip, which was plugged into an ungrounded outlet using a ground plug adapter.
Wausau Fire Department says while space heaters can provide warmth, they are the leading cause of winter home fires.
The fire department shares a few simple precautions you can take to prevent a fire:
Keep all space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn. This includes bedding, curtains and furnitureAlways plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet and never use extension cords or power stripsTurn space heaters off before leaving the room or going to bedDo not overload power stripsPower strips should be plugged into a grounded wall outletDo not plug a power strip into an existing surge protector or extension cordPower strips are for low-voltage electronics
The fire department says in both fires, neither home had smoke alarms in the sleeping rooms. If you are a homeowner in the city of Wausau and do not have smoke alarms, contact the Wausau Fire Department at 715-261-7900 and ask for Prevention so they can evaluate your needs.
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