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Permit Downloads
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Providing Service To A Great
Community
Home Heating
Heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires during the months
of December, January and February, and trails only cooking equipment
in home fires year-round.
Facts & Figures*
• In 1998, there were 49,200 heating equipment-related home fires
reported to U.S. fire departments, resulting in 388 deaths, 1,445
injuries and $515 million in property damage.
• Two of every three home heating fires in the U.S. in 1998, and three
of every four related deaths, were attributed to space heating
equipment.
• All types of common space heating equipment are involved in home
fires: portable electric heaters, portable kerosene heaters, wood
stoves, fireplaces with inserts and room gas heaters.
• Common causes of space heating home fires are: lack of regular
cleaning, leading to creosote build-up, in wood-burning devices and
associated chimneys and connectors; failing to give space heaters
space, by installing or placing them too close to combustibles; basic
flaws in the construction or design of wood burning heating equipment;
and fueling errors involving liquid- or gas-fueled heating equipment.
Safety Tips:
• Space heaters need space. Portable space heaters need a
three-foot (one meter) clearance from anything that can burn and
should always be turned off when leaving the room or going to sleep.
• When buying a new unit, make sure it carries the mark of an
independent testing lab. Be sure that a qualified technician installs
the unit or checks that the unit has been installed properly.
• Wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, chimney connectors, and
all other solid-fueled heating equipment need to be inspected annually
by a professional and cleaned as often as the inspections indicate.
• Use a sturdy fireplace screen to keep sparks from flying into the
room.
• Portable kerosene heaters must be fueled only in a well-ventilated
area, free of flame and other heat sources, and only when the device
has cooled completely. Use only the type of kerosene specified by the
manufacturer for that device, and never use gasoline instead of
kerosene. Also, be sure that portable kerosene heaters are legal for
home use in your state.
• When turning a heating device on or off, be careful to follow the
manufacturer's instructions. When buying heaters, look for devices
with automatic shutoff features.
• Be sure any gas-fueled heating device is installed with proper
attention to ventilation, and, if unvented gas space heaters are used
in bedrooms or bathrooms, they must be small and wall-mounted. Also,
LP (liquefied petroleum) gas heaters with self-contained fuel supplies
are prohibited for home use by NFPA codes.
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