MORGAN COUNTY, Utah -- Morgan County Fire & EMS warned the public Saturday about potential fire hazards, if space heaters are plugged into power strips.
The National Fire Protection Association says that out of the 53,000 fires caused by home heating equipment each year, space heaters caused the most deaths and injuries and half the damage.
Oftentimes space heaters are plugged into power strips, which can cause the strips to overheat because they are unable to handle the device's energy load, Morgan County Fire & EMS said. When power strips overheat, they can easily cause a fire.
Below are a few tips on running an electric heater safely during the cold winter months, provided by Safebee:
- Place the heater in a dry location. Moisture can potentially damage its components.
- Don't plug other devices into the same outlet as the heater, because they draw a lot of power.
- Never run an electric cord underneath a rug or carpet, they could catch on fire.
- Don't use an extension cord, but if you must, use a heavy one rated for the amount of energy that the heater draws.
- Unplug the heater after turning it off.
