Charlotte Experts Warn Heating Safety Crucial as Winter Fire Risks Rise

Fire officials in Charlotte are pushing warnings about heating dangers. Temps plunged into the 20s this week. Leigh Kish works as the fire and life safety educator with the Gaston County Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services. She spoke with WBTV about threats that come when people heat their homes.

"We want people to be warm, but we want people to be smart about it," Kish said, according to WBTV.

A fire killed four people in Cherokee County, South Carolina, back in late October. Jeremy Caggiano serves as Gaffney Fire Chief. He said a heater started the blaze.

"It was a small fire underneath the heater and that fire just continued to grow and they kept trying to put it out and it just got too big," he explained.

Kish spends time teaching people about dangers that arise from different ways to heat a home. "One fire death is one too many. We don't want anyone to die or get hurt in a fire and any time we can prevent that from happening, that's our goal," she explained.

Working smoke alarms matter. So do carbon monoxide detectors. Kish stressed both need to function properly in every home. Portable heaters require lots of room around them, and kerosene heaters must never get refilled while running.

"Give them at least three feet of space with nothing around them. That includes your children, your pets, your blankets, yourself, anything like that," Kish added.

Never leave a heating device alone. Space heaters should only plug into wall outlets — not extension cords.

Homeowners with central heating might smell something odd when they flip the system on for the first time this season, according to Kish. "Don't be alarmed by it. That's normal. It hasn't run all year and that dust has settled into your duct work. You're going to smell that dust and that little burning smell. It heats up. It burns off. If you smelled more than 30 minutes or an hour, maybe be a little concerned," she explained.

Kish offers free home inspections for residents in Gaston County. People can reach her at Leigh.Kish@GastonGov.com.