Space heaters blamed in fires

SOUTH BEND - A space heater too close to the bed. A space heater left unattended.

Fire investigators say both situations are to blame for a pair of Sunday fires that destroyed two homes within two hours of each other.

Twice Sunday, once at 3:35 p.m. in the 1000 block of North Johnson Street and again at 5:09 in the 3200 block of East Kent Lane, residents had to evacuate homes, escaping without injury.

On Kent, fire investigators say Gracie Newcome was in bed and woke to find her bedding on fire, before running out of the house with her daughter in tow.

Fire Marshal Federico Rodriguez said the fire started when a space heater in the home was set too close to a pile of bedding.

On Johnson Street, Stephanie Ziegert told fire investigators that she left a space heater on while the family was away, destroying the upstairs bedroom that her daughter used.

Fire investigators concluded that blaze, too, was sparked by the space heater.

Rodriguez said both fires demonstrate two important rules about space heaters: Never leave them unattended, and always set them at least 3 feet away from any flammable object.

“People have trucks go by, or trains nearby, and they don’t realize how much a house can vibrate,” Rodriguez said. “Or pets or small children can knock them over.”

Rodriguez said space heaters can also quickly overload an electrical circuit. He said it’s important to not plug other electronics into the same plug as a space heater.

“In older homes especially,” Rodriguez said.

“(Space heaters) draw a lot of power; they can overload the circuits.”

People who need to use a space heater should read the instruction manual and follow all safety rules, Rodriguez said, especially this time of year, when people buy new units with the dropping temperatures.

“That’s the main thing: Read the instructions, know what’s safe,” Rodriguez said. “And keep items away from it.”

Staff writer Dave Stephens:
dstephens@sbtinfo.com
574-235-6209