Authorities offer space heater, smoke alarm safety tips,

Officials demonstrate proper use of space heaters, smoke alarms

As Central Florida braces for freezing winter weather, authorities are reminding residents the proper way to use space heaters and smoke detectors in hopes of preventing a fatal accident.

With temperatures expected to hit freezing early today and Friday, Orange County Fire Rescue officials offered safety tips Wednesday.

“The biggest mistake that we generally see is keeping them next to things that can catch fire,” Assistant Fire Marshal Inez Pressler said.

Residents should always keep space heaters at least an arm’s length away from furniture, bedding, children, pets and anything else that may be flammable, Pressler said.

It’s also important to use space heaters that will automatically turn off when tipped over, preventing a potential catastrophe.

Always plug a space heater directly into an outlet as opposed to an extension cord, Pressler said. Never use an oven to heat your home.

“I think people just don’t think about it because it only gets this cold once a year,” Pressler said.

Firefighters with Orange County Fire Rescue respond to nearly 2,000 calls every month, with many involving heating devices this time of year, Lt. Ryan Williams said.

As a last resort, people should always ensure they have smoke detectors that work properly.

Orlando Fire Department crews will be going door-to-door this morning in Parramore, offering free smoke alarms and checking the batteries on existing detectors, spokeswoman Ashley Papagni said.

The announcement comes one day after a man died in a house fire in that neighborhood. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but witnesses told authorities the man was known to use a space heater.

Investigators say they found no working smoke detectors in the home. Three out of every five residential fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Having a smoke detector in your house cuts the chance of dying nearly in half.

Crews recommend having a smoke detector in every bedroom and on every level of a home. Alarms should be tested once a month and replaced about every 10 years.

Residents who need their smoke alarms tested should call 311.

JACOB LANGSTON/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Orange County Fire Rescue Assistant Fire Marshall Inez Pressler, left, and Lt. Ryan Williams, with Orange County Fire Rescue, discuss how to use space heaters safely and properly Wednesday at a press conference.