Let me be clear, I love living in Virginia. We have mountains, oceans, amazing lakes and rivers, and four distinct seasons. I especially love living in Virginia when the winter air feels like Virginia, not Antartica!
Even the most efficient homes will feel cold in the subzero temperatures that we’ll be experiencing over the next few days. My wife and I, like most people will be relying on alternative heat sources like space heaters and fireplaces.
Now is a good time to review safe use of space heaters:
- Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
- Have a three-foot “child-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
- Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
According to a USA Today report, space heaters cause one-third of winter house fires and about 80% of all winter fire deaths.
Space heaters are also often recalled in summer months, like the one pictured above, and consumers may not be aware that they may be using a dangerous product.
Be sure to check your product on the CPSC website to make sure that it has not been recalled.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a fire or burned by a dangerous product, call product liability lawyer Paul Thomson of The Thomson Law Firm in Roanoke, VA. We offer free consultations. Call today to talk with an intake specialist. (540) 777-4900
