The news this morning reported on a fire that happened downtown.
It was in one of the high rise apartment buildings and, sadly, there was the loss of three lives.
The fire started in the bedroom of an apartment located on the fifth floor and the firefighters were not able to reach the older couple that lived there in time. Their cat also was lost in the fire. When they looked into the cause of the fire they found an old space heater plugged into the wall near the bed. Unfortunately, many of these portable appliances can be very dangerous. There are warning labels, stories about these dangers, and videos all over the internet that remind people not to put them too close to combustible items. Putting one right next to a mattress is a recipe for disaster. No one is sure why the couple needed the space heater so close, perhaps their heat in the apartment wasn’t working properly, but, the bottom line is the fact that now many people have been displaced. They must find alternative living arrangements while repairs are made. Tragedies can be avoided if simple safety precautions are taken. Seeing the sadness that this has caused is a real eye opener in my opinion. Having quality HVAC systems that are serviced regularly is one way to avoid the need for portable units. If you must use one, try and purchase one without exposed heating elements. There are electric baseboard heaters or oil filled radiators that pose little to no risk of these devastating fires. If you are unsure of the models available, a simple call to your local HVAC dealer would be a good place to start.