Northwest Iowa — With the bitterly cold temperatures forecast for our area for the next few days, including a predicted air temperature low of 25 below on New Year’s Eve, the chances are pretty good that some supplemental heating units will be used.
But area fire chiefs are urging extreme caution with these products, which could include old-fashioned space heaters, newer ceramic electric heaters, kerosene heaters, and gas heaters.
Orange City Fire Chief Denny Vander Wel says that although space heaters have more safeguards than they used to, you still need to be careful when using them, because they can start fires.
He says if you have to use one, make sure to take some precautions.
Other heaters are not safe from a carbon monoxide point of view, including portable gasoline heaters, propane heaters, unvented natural gas heaters, and charcoal heaters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA says these type of heating devices should not be used indoors.
