|
Houston Fire Department investigators have determined that over charged electrical cords running from at least one space heater to multiple outlets caused an early morning house fire.
HFD was dispatched to the house fire in the 8100 block of Panay Drive in southeast Houston about 5:30 a.m. this morning. Firefighters arrived on scene within three minutes and made an offensive attack on the fire. Two individuals safely made it out of the home and investigators also noted that the home had a working smoke detector. The fire caused about $45 thousand in damage.
|
The second leading cause of structure fires in the City of Houston is due to electrical issues; this includes overloading electrical outlets, frayed wires and malfunctions. Most of these can be prevented by following some simple safety tips provided by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
Safety tips from the NFPA
- Always have a working smoke detector.
- Replace or repair damaged or loose electrical cords.
- Avoid running extension cords across doorways or under carpets.
- In homes with small children, make sure your home has tamper-resistant (TR) receptacles.
- Consider having additional circuits or outlets added by a qualified electrician so you do not have to use extension cords.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions for plugging an appliance into a receptacle outlet.
- Avoid overloading outlets. Plug only one high-wattage appliance into each receptacle outlet at a time.
- If outlets or switches feel warm, frequent problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuits, or flickering or dimming lights, call a qualified electrician.
- Place lamps on level surfaces, away from things that can burn and use bulbs that match the lamp's recommended wattage.
- Make sure your home has ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) in the kitchen bathroom(s), laundry, basement, and outdoor areas.
- Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) should be installed in your home to protect electrical outlets.
|
.###
|
