Northwest Iowa — With the colder temperatures, many area residents are looking at auxiliary heating sources to help keep their homes warm and toasty. But one northwest Iowa fire chief says that there are inherent dangers that come with each of the top three most popular heating sources.
Sibley Fire Chief Ken Huls says even the innocent looking electric space heaters have dangers you should be aware of.
Huls says before using an electric heater you should check with an electrician or a contractor to make sure your home’s electrical system is adequate to support the heater.
He says you also need to be cautious when using kerosene heaters.
Huls says the third type of auxiliary heating that requires caution are wood burning stoves.
He says children and pets should be kept away from all three types of auxiliary heat sources to avoid having them get burned by the heat generated.
And, according to Chief Huls, in winter when our homes are sealed up, we run the greatest risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. The Chief offers an idea on how to protect yourself and your family from this silent killer.
In addition, he says you should always make sure the burners on your gas stove are turned completely off, have your furnace inspected to make sure the gases are venting outside, and check the outside exhaust outlet to make sure it’s not plugged or enclosed by snow.
