Essential Tips for Michigan Residents: Prevent This Common Winter Mistake That Leads to Thousands of House Fires Every Year

It's finally getting chilly here in Michigan, which means it's time to turn on the heat, add an extra blanket to your bedding, and bring out the coats.

However, sometimes you find yourself in a situation where you cannot control the temperature of the room. Some rooms simply don't heat up the way the rest of the house does, and other times, like in my current situation, your office space is freezing, and you don't have the luxury of adjusting the thermostat.

What's to be done in those situations? Buy a space heater.

Now, this is by no means an anti-space heater piece. I love them; they keep your space toasty in less-than-ideal scenarios. However, they do cause thousands of fires each year, and you should take precautions when using them.

How to Avoid Fires Due to Space Heaters

According to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), here are the safety precautions you should use:

• Space heaters need to be plugged directly into an electrical outlet.

• Never use an extension cord with a space heater.

• Make sure your space heater has an automatic shut-off switch.

• Never use an electric space heater in a bathroom or other areas where it may come in contact with water.

• Keep kids and pets three feet away from space heaters and turn them off when leaving a room or going to bed.

• Keep furniture, blankets and other household objects at least three feet away from a space heater.

According to the Detroit News, in 2022 Michigan fire deaths were up by 144%. Heating devices such as space heaters, wood stoves and fireplaces were the cause of 23% of those fires. Per PIRG, space heaters lead to 1,700 fires and 80 deaths per year.