Firefighters warn of unconventional ways to heat your home

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - As temperatures drop, it is essential to remember to be safe when staying warm. The winter months are when many fires start from unconventional heating.

“We mainly see them in December, January, and February. When the power goes out is when people use those unconventional ways,” said Division Chief Leanne Johnson.

If you are going to heat your home with a space heater, then be careful what you plug it into.

”Plug it directly into a wall, don’t plug it into a power strip or something like that,” said Division Chief Johnson.

Never use a generator, grill, camp stove, or other gasoline, propane, natural gas, or charcoal-burning device inside your house, basement, or garage. A fireplace is good.. if it’s cleaned.

“People are not cleaning their chimneys, and we’re having flu fires, and that is a large cause of the fire, but probably one of the highest nationally statistic fires is from space heaters,” said Division Chief Johnson.

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