After serious fire, Massachusetts Fire Department offers warning about space heaters

“As temperatures continue to drop, here’s a quick reminder. Please do NOT plug space heaters into extension cords or power strips!

Plug them directly into the wall outlet!

Extension cords/ Power strips are not able to handle the high current flow that a space heater can draw and can overheat causing a fire.”-Northampton Fire Rescue.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that space heaters, including both fixed and portable heaters, are associated with about 21,800 residential fires every year. About 300 people die each year in fires started by these heaters.

Northampton Fire Rescue photo.