With this cold weather approaching our region, many people will use electric heaters in their home. Experts explain what you should do to avoid any type of accident.
The Fire Chief from the city of McAllen says that unfortunately every year there are fires caused by floor heaters or electrical failures in them. Therefore, the first thing he recommends is to buy the device directly from the manufacturer or a specialized business new in it’s box.
“Buy the heaters from the stores, brand new. There’s a lot of people they buy off the market, they buy it on the internet. We’re recommending to buy it from the factory or from the store brand new,” said Chief Roberto Rojas.
Officer Rojas adds that some new heaters have motion sensors that automatically turn it off when it falls. Something that will be useful to avoid fires.
Rojas added that accidents often happen due to the lack of surveillance.
“Keep the kids away from the heaters, the space heaters. We have a lot of incidents where kids get involved in a fire, they get burned,” added Rojas.
Experts also recommend keeping the heater away from any object at a minimum distance of three feet.
“Clothing, rugs, sofas, bed, curtains, everything,” added Rojas.
Another of the most important things that should be in your home is a smoke detector.
“We change the battery once a year. Every time that we change the time, we change the battery. If we don’t take care of it, the smoke detectors are not going to do their job,” added Rojas.
He added that it is important to have one in each room and check the date of manufacture printed as it is recommended to change it every ten years to avoid malfunction. Heaters must be connected directly to the wall and not to an extension as this can lead to a short circuit causing a fire.
Rojas also asked to keep the heaters out of the reach of children and that it should also be turned off when one is asleep as not keeping an eye on it is a risk to your family and home.
