Virginia Beach, Va. – A fire in a space heater damaged a mobile home in Virginia Beach just before 10am Wednesday morning.
When firefighters arrived they saw smoke coming from the mobile home in the County View section of Virginia Beach.
No one was home at the time but investigators believe the fire started in a rear bedroom in the home. A portable space heater with damaged wiring is believed to be the cause of the fire. Investigators are unsure if the space heater was on when the fire started.
Although most of the damage was confined to the rear bedroom and the fire was extinguished in minutes, the residents will have to be relocated.
The Virginia Beach Fire Dept. would like to share some safety tips when operating electrical space heaters. Space heaters cause about one-third of all winter house fires and 80 percent of all winter heating fire deaths, according to the National Fire Protection Association:
- Inspect heaters for cracked or broken plugs or loose connections before each use. If frayed, worn or damaged, do not use the heater.
- Never leave a space heater unattended. Turn it off wh…en you’re leaving a room or going to sleep, and don’t let pets or children play too close to a space heater.
- Space heaters are only meant to provide supplemental heat and should never be used to warm bedding, cook food, dry clothing or thaw pipes.
- Install smoke alarms on every floor of your home and outside all sleeping areas and test them once a month.
- Proper placement of space heaters is critical. Heaters must be kept at least three feet away from anything that can burn, including papers, clothing and rugs.
