A fire that ravaged a home near Ocala claimed the lives of five children and injured three adults in November, and officials said they are zeroing in on the likely cause: A space heater.
The temperature had dipped into the 40s in central Florida, where electrical space heaters are often used to heat homes during colder weather. Someone inside the small rental home that housed the five Jordan children had turned on a space heater. The children, aged six to 15, were inside their rooms when the fire began. It quickly spread through and engulfed the home within minutes. The children's mother, Krista Jordan, escaped through a window along with her sister and mother-in-law. The home, situated inside a trailer park, was engulfed when emergency service personnel arrived. When it was over, two children were taken to the hospital where they died. The bodies of three others were found inside the home.
Fire Stats and Safety Tips from the National Fire Protection Association
According to the National Fire Protection Association, more than 66,000 fires were started by heating equipment resulting in nearly 500 fatalities, 1,660 burn injuries and causing over $1 billion in damage in 2008. Of those fires, nearly one-third were started by faulty space heaters.
Experts say when using a heating device, such as a space heater, make sure it's not operating near anything that can burn, such as laundry, bedding, furniture, toys, paper or curtains. More than half the deaths that resulted from heating fires in 2008 resulted from the ignition of some object near a portable heater. December, January and February are the most dangerous months for home heating fires: half of all fires occur in those three months alone.
For space heaters in the home, the National Fire Protection Association recommends the following safety tips to prevent fires:
• Maintain a three-foot kid-free zone around space heaters and fireplaces.
• Turn off the space heater when you go to bed or leave the room.
• Use space heaters with automatic shut-off
• Keep the space heater on a solid, flat surface.
• Plug directly into outlet, not extension cord.
Of course, you should also have fire alarms placed in all used bedrooms, near the kitchen and near a space heater or fireplace. Check your fire alarms at least annually to make sure that they are working. If you live in a rental property and you notice odd events such as lights dimming or frequently blown fuses, you may want to request that your landlord have the electrical wiring inspected in your home.
