Cold weather is moving into Alabama. As temperatures drop, some residents are turning to space heaters to keep warm. The devices can provide extra warmth in a drafty or cold room home officebut they can also present a safety risk regardless of where they are used.

Portable heaters are responsible for 1,700 house fires a year on average, according to data Consumer Product Safety Commission. Fires started by portable heaters result in approximately 80 deaths annually.

Nonprofit experts Consumer Reports released space heater ratings where they rated space heaters on several safety measures. This includes whether a model gets hot enough to ignite nearby materials, whether the surface becomes hot enough to cause a burn, and whether or not the model has a flip switch that turns the heater off when it is flipped over. That report can be found Here.

Consumer Reports reports that nearly half of all home heating fires occur in the months of December, January and February – and are often caused when a heater (usually an electric one) is placed too close to curtains, bedding or upholstered furniture .

The nonprofit’s experts, as well as those from Appliance Manufacturers Association and the National Agency for Fire Protectionprovides the following safety tips:

• Place the heater on a hard, flat, non-flammable surface. These appliances are intended to sit on the floor, not on a table.
• Establish a 3-foot child- and pet-free zone around the heater, and never place a heater in a child’s room.
• Keep the heater at least 3 meters away from combustible materials such as furniture, bedding and curtains. A taller heater may need to be further away.
• Do not use a heater in a workshop or garage near flammable paints, gas cans or matches.
• Turn it off when you leave the room or go to bed.
• Unplug the heater when not in use by pulling the plug straight out of the outlet. Periodically check the cable for damage and do not use the heater if the cable is frayed or frayed.
• Do not plug another electrical device or extension cord into the same outlet as a heater, as this may cause overheating.
• Install working smoke alarms on every level of the house and in every bedroom and test them monthly.

You can find more information on space heater safety tips Here.