Portable Space Heater Dangers

[cowboyjosh]

As if we need another reason why space heaters are NOT always a good idea, and why its certainly not a good idea to leave them "unattended".

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/29668997/detail.html
Space Heater Blamed For Garage Fire

3 Children Escape As Blaze Breaks Out In Willow Springs

Posted by Wayne Harrison, Web Editor
POSTED: 7:12 pm MDT November 2, 2011
UPDATED: 7:20 pm MDT November 2, 2011
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. -- An attached three-car garage was destroyed in a fire Wednesday afternoon but the home connected to it was saved in the Willow Springs neighborhood of Jefferson County.
West Metro Firefighters said they saw smoke from the fire in the 160000 block of Mountain Bluebird Way as they left their fire station just before 3:30 p.m.
Three children in the home were able to escape and get to a neighbor's home before firefighters arrived.
Firefighters aggressively attacked the fire and kept it from spreading to the house.
Investigators said the fire appears to have started from an unattended portable space heater in the garage.
No damage estimate was available.

If you have a news tip or a follow-up to this story, e-mail us.

Copyright 2011 by TheDenverChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

[KenB]

Surely millions of portable space heaters are used successfully every day throughout the world -- many of them unattended -- without incident. The story linked has no information about the conditions that led to this fire. It's like suggesting that since the fire started in a GARAGE that somehow garages are inherently dangerous.

Thanks for the tip.


Ken

 

[Interex]

Could have been fumes from something in the garage that ignited.

 

[cowboyjosh]

It was a PROPANE portable space heater they reported on the late local news last night.

I know thousands of heaters are in use as I type this right now w/o issue, but its still worth putting out, that **** happens. Im also not so naive to believe that a Reznor or Modine type heater will never start a fire.

Just sharing the article, thats all.

 

[1Garageman]

I have an electric heater in my garage, I wish I had a bigger one. Here in Ohio we have to do something in the winter about the coldness if we want to work in our garages!

 

[rickairmedic]

I have a Dayton 3VU36 in my garage and a couple of radiant heaters in the house . Most " Portable space heater " problems stem from common sense . Who leaves a Propane space heater running unsupervised with 3 children in the house . Carlos Mencia said it best " DDD " .


Rick

 

[cowboyjosh]

I have a Dayton 3VU36 in my garage and a couple of radiant heaters in the house . Most " Portable space heater " problems stem from common sense . Who leaves a Propane space heater running unsupervised with 3 children in the house . Carlos Mencia said it best " DDD " .


Rick

I wouldn't leave the room with a propane portable space heater in operation; let alone leave 3 girls at home with one on in the garage. Im a builder, and a electrical contractor, and I come from a long line of family who are or who are retired Firemen; so as you might imagine things like space heaters don't exist in my house, coffee maker gets unplugged after every use, as does wife's hair dryer, curling iron, etc. There are NO candles allowed in my house. My furnaces, including the Reznor in my garage gets cleaned and serviced every year, as does both my gas Heatilator fireplaces. Clutter is another thing, I don't like shoes by the doors or things in the way of making a quick egress. I guess Im a little crazy, but its how I was raised too. So hopefully this gives some insight as to why I don't like small electric appliances, space heaters, and un-proven building materials.