As winter sets in, many people turn to space heaters for warmth\u2014but firefighters are warning against a common and dangerous<\/p>\n
mistake. The Umatilla County Fire District in Oregon stresses that space heaters should never be plugged into power strips,<\/p>\n
which aren\u2019t built to handle their high energy load. Doing so can cause overheating or even start a fire.<\/p>\n
The risk isn\u2019t just theoretical. In one Ohio case, a space heater plugged into a power strip sparked a fire that spread from a<\/p>\n
couch and destroyed an entire home. Space heaters can reach temperatures up to 600\u00b0F, making proper use crucial. Fire<\/p>\n
experts emphasize that misuse can lead to devastating consequences.<\/p>\n
To stay safe, always plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet\u2014never into a strip or extension cord. Keep a three-foot<\/p>\n
clearance around the heater, free of flammable items like curtains or bedding. Only use the heater while you\u2019re present, never<\/p>\n
while sleeping or out of the house. Always place it on a stable, non-flammable surface.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As winter sets in, many people turn to space heaters for warmth\u2014but firefighters are warning against a common and dangerous mistake. The Umatilla County Fire District in… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28947,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-finance"],"yoast_head":"\n