After deadly NYC fire, officials warn of home heating hazards

TEXARKANA — Heat sources are the second leading cause of house fires and the reason that so many deadly fires occur in the coldest months.

“We see more deadly fires this time of year, than any other time,” said Texarkana Texas Fire Marshal Chris Black. “Fires caused by heating devices are right behind cooking fires as the most common reason for house fires.”

One in every seven house fires and one in every five house fire deaths involve heating equipment, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

A recent deadly apartment fire in New York City has highlighted the dangers of some heating devices.

On the morning of Jan. 9, a highrise fire killed 17 people, including 8 children, at the Twin Parks North West, an apartment building in the Bronx. Forty-four people were injured, and 32 with life-threatening injuries were sent to five borough hospitals. It was the third-worst residential fire in the United States in four decades and the deadliest fire in New York City.

The Bronx fire was also the second major residential fire in the Northeastern United States within a one-week period, occurring four days after a fire in Philadelphia public housing resulted in 12 deaths.

Investigators determined the Bronx fire was caused by a defective space heater bursting into flames. Smoke billowed through the building as a result of two malfunctioning self-closing doors, causing deaths throughout the building. The fire was largely confined to one apartment; all of the people killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, while a dozen critically injured people were badly burned.

Overall, U.S. Fire Departments responded to an average of 48,500 fires involving heating equipment per year between 2014 and 2018, according to NFPA. During this time, space heaters accounted for more than two out of five heating fires and 81% of heating fire deaths.

Alternate heating devices such as space heaters are also the cause for many local fires, Black said.

Space heaters are often used to heat one room of a home, or a small area, and are often considered a more affordable way to heat a home.

Anyone who uses a space heater should always keep it at least three feet away from anything combustible, Black said.

Space heaters should also always be plugged directly into a wall outlet.

“Never use extension cords,” Black said.

Users should also make sure cords are not frayed.

Other home heating safety tips include never using an oven to heat your home, have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned every year, and remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.