With Philadelphia wrapped in a blanket of frigid arctic air, space heater sales are on the rise. With temperatures hovering in the single and double-digits and wind chills dipping below zero, Philadelphia residents are turning to space heaters to augment overworked furnaces. Unfortunately, fire, death and personal injury can occur when space heaters are used.
According to the Consumer Reports website, every year electric space heaters account for 40% of the heating-related deaths and 30% of the heating-related personal injuries in Philadelphia and across the U.S. Fuel-fired space heaters carry their own serious risks and are responsible for numerous carbon monoxide deaths every winter. Space heaters account for 16% of all reported Philadelphia home fires.
- On December 28, 2008, seven people died when fire ripped through their Philadelphia home. The source of the fire was found to be a kerosene space heater.
- In March 2009, a 7-year-old Philadelphia child was severely burned when sparks from a space heater started a fire at a local trailer park.
- In October 2009, a 63-year-old Philadelphia man died in a home fire. Firefighters determined
Firefighters say Philadelphia space heater fires are usually caused by faulty construction, faulty electric cords, overuse of electric outlets, placement near combustible objects or a combination of these factors. It can take careful investigation by a Philadelphia personal injury lawyer to discover what happened and who is at fault when people suffer personal injury or are killed by fires related to space heater use. Often defective products are to blame.
Firefighters recommend that Philadelphia residents keep combustibles like paper, curtains, blankets and other household items at least three feet around space heaters. When space heaters are in use, rooms should be properly vented to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Only the fuel recommended by the manufacturer should be burned in non-electric space heaters.
