MORAINE -- Fire Inspector Doug Hatcher has been fighting fires for more than two decades. He knows this time of year is often busy for fire departments.
âWeâve had several fires here these last few days for different things, the big thing right now is heating,â Hatcher said.
The snow and ice remaining from last weekâs storms are an example of just how cold the air is outside. In turn, people often do what they can to stay warm, sometimes safely with space heaters, but some use appliances, such as ovens, which is dangerous.
In the case of the Preble County couple early Wednesday morning, they were using their fireplace, when a spark leapt out of the fire.
âHe did claim he had a protection screen, but apparently it wasnât enough, it popped out. Smoke detectors were working and the dog alerted them that something was wrong,â said John Cassidy of Gratis Township Fire Department.
In addition to working smoke detectors, fire officials urge people to give heating devices such as space heaters and fireplaces extreme caution and attention.
âGive space around it, three feet in every direction, and when you go to bed, you need to turn those things off,â said Hatcher.
A demonstration of a heater placed near a couch shows within minutes half the living room engulfed in flames, illustrating just how fast and violent residential fires can be.
Luckily, more safety features are being added to modern space heaters, for if it is accidentally tipped over, it automatically shuts off.
Hatcherâs years of experience have taught him a simple way to prevent these all too common winter firesâ¦
âJust use common sense when youâre dealing with any type of secondary heatâ said Hatcher.
Also, make sure all of your smoke detectors are in working order, and in the case of the fireplace, keep it clean. Timbers and ashes can easily spark an unwanted fire.
âWeâve had several fires here these last few days for different things, the big thing right now is heating,â Hatcher said.
The snow and ice remaining from last weekâs storms are an example of just how cold the air is outside. In turn, people often do what they can to stay warm, sometimes safely with space heaters, but some use appliances, such as ovens, which is dangerous.
In the case of the Preble County couple early Wednesday morning, they were using their fireplace, when a spark leapt out of the fire.
âHe did claim he had a protection screen, but apparently it wasnât enough, it popped out. Smoke detectors were working and the dog alerted them that something was wrong,â said John Cassidy of Gratis Township Fire Department.
In addition to working smoke detectors, fire officials urge people to give heating devices such as space heaters and fireplaces extreme caution and attention.
âGive space around it, three feet in every direction, and when you go to bed, you need to turn those things off,â said Hatcher.
A demonstration of a heater placed near a couch shows within minutes half the living room engulfed in flames, illustrating just how fast and violent residential fires can be.
Luckily, more safety features are being added to modern space heaters, for if it is accidentally tipped over, it automatically shuts off.
Hatcherâs years of experience have taught him a simple way to prevent these all too common winter firesâ¦
âJust use common sense when youâre dealing with any type of secondary heatâ said Hatcher.
Also, make sure all of your smoke detectors are in working order, and in the case of the fireplace, keep it clean. Timbers and ashes can easily spark an unwanted fire.
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