Heating fires
Heating was the second leading cause of home fires in 2021: an estimated 32,200 home heating fires, with about 190 deaths. Portable space heaters cause only a small share of heating fires but a large share of the deadly ones: 3 percent of home heating fires, but 41 percent of the fatal ones (2017 to 2019).
Space heaters
- Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away: curtains, bedding, furniture, clothes and paper. Space heaters can set nearby curtains, bedding or furniture on fire.
- Turn space heaters off when you leave the room or go to bed. A heater left on while you sleep or are away can start a fire.
- Plug heaters correctly, and don't run them on an extension cord. Extension cords and power strips can overheat and start a fire.
Fireplaces, wood stoves and furnaces
- Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from fireplaces, wood stoves and radiators.
- Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a professional. Creosote builds up in chimneys and can catch fire.
- Never use an oven to heat your home. An oven can overheat or give off deadly carbon monoxide.
Sources
- Why each step matters: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, NFPA, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
- Every point on this page: U.S. Fire Administration, Heating fire safety (page last reviewed May 4, 2023). The page's pictographs show plugging appliances in correctly and no extension cords on appliances.