COLUMBIA, S.C. — Friday's apartment fire at the Willow Run Apartments that displaced 30 people Columbia was caused by a space heater, according to Columbia Fire Officials.
No one was seriously hurt as a result of that fire; however, with temperatures dropping, fire officials are emphasizing the need for safety.
"We run about 35,000 calls per year, and out of that, 1,000 of those calls are residential fires," explained Chief Fire Marshal George Adams. "If I can remember correctly, improper heating is the second cause of fires in our community."
With temperatures expecting to get colder in the Midlands in the next few days, fire officials expect to be on high alert as people look for ways to keep warm.
"When you're using your space heaters, you should provide at least three feet of space," said Adams. "If you're using a space heater and it's too close to anything that can burn, it is improperly used."
Columbia Fire Department's chief fire marshal says there are two main ways space heaters can start a house fire. The first way is it being too close to combustible items, like paper, bedsheets, and window curtains. The other way is plugging the device into an extension cord, which could cause it to overheat.
Adams offers these tips for safety:
- Always read the user manual.
- Plug the space heater into an outlet.
- Use the heater in an open area.
- Turn it off when you leave the house or sleeping.
Adams says use of ovens and stoves as heating sources is also unwise.
"It produces heat, but you can burn your cabinets or initially whatever is around that has ignition temperature which causes to combust," said Adams. "You never want to use your oven as a heating source."
According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are then 21,800 house fires and 300 deaths every year due to space heaters.