Home Fires Caused By Heating Elements

[Christopher Currins]

The Illinois State Fire Marshal is offering tips to keep homes safe from fires caused by heating equipment.

The office says half of all home fires are caused by heating implements such as furnaces, fireplaces and space heaters.

Home heating fires are most likely to occur from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Fatal ones most often occur between midnight and 10 a.m.
The leading factor in such fires are combustible items placed to closely to the heater.

About 60 percent of chimney and flue fires occur because the chimney was not cleaned.

Turn portable heaters off when leaving a room or going to bed and make sure all fuel-burning equipment is vented to the outside.
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www.state.il.us/osfm or www.nfpa.org/