As winter weather continues, Detroit Fire Department shares home heating tips to stay safe and prevent fires

Alternative heating sources made up nearly 30% of residential fires nationwide from 2019-2023
Detroit saw 73 residential fires and one death as a result of alternative heating sources in 2024 alone
Most deadly fires are the result of improper use of alternative heating sources
Carbon monoxide risk is greatest in winter months when windows and doors are closed, can come from both faulty furnaces and alternative heating
Join us Wednesday, February 12 for a DFD Safety Series on home heating and carbon monoxide safety: detroitmi.gov/SafetySeries

The Detroit Fire Department wants our residents to stay safe. There are so many possible causes of fires, everything from electrical to a kitchen accident to a fire started by an alternative heating source. One of the most common and the deadliest cause of residential house fires nationwide each year, however, is in fact alternative heating sources.

Here in Detroit in 2024, 73 fires were determined to have started because of alternative heating sources, such as warming fires indoors or improper use of home heating appliance. Sadly, one life was lost in a home heating-related fire.

Carbon monoxide is an invisible killer. The gas is odorless and tasteless, and oftentimes once residents realize they are ill, it’s too late to prevent serious injury and even death.

“Learning best practices around home heating safety is a necessity,” said Dennis Hunter, Chief of the Detroit Fire Department Fire Prevention Section. “Winters in Michigan can be quite cold, and to cut down on energy bills, many keep the thermostat low and use alternative heat sources to stay warm in the room they’re in. This can be a great option but must be done safely to prevent fires.”

The Detroit Fire Department is hosting the DFD Safety Series – a webinar series that helps educate our community on various topics. This month, we’ll be talking about best practices for home heating and carbon monoxide safety. “It is our responsibility at the Detroit Fire Department to educate our residents,” said Executive Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms. “I’m glad to see our residents engaged in learning about how to stay safe. Thanks to the team’s efforts across the board regarding fire prevention and community education, fire injuries and fatalities in the City of Detroit are down significantly.”

According to the National Fire Protection Administration, and based on 2019-2023 annual averages:

Space heaters and heating stoves were the type of heating equipment responsible for more than one-quarter (29%) of residential fires, nearly eight out of ten deaths (77%), seven out of ten (71%) of the injuries, and the largest share of dollar loss (48%) in home fires caused by heating equipment.
Fires originating in a kitchen or cooking area accounted for the largest share of home heating fires (18%).
While the larger (non-confined) fires involving fireplaces or chimneys were involved in fewer than one in ten fires caused by heating equipment (8%), they caused just over one-fourth of the direct property damage (27%).

Space heater safety

There are several different types of space heaters, from infrared heaters to fan-forced heaters, to ceramic heaters to oil or water-filled radiator heaters. The most used are infrared heaters. Here are some tips to stay safe when using a space heater:

Purchase a heater with the seal of a qualified testing laboratory.
Keep the heater at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn, including people.
Choose a heater with a thermostat and overheat protection.
Place the heater on a solid, flat surface.
Make sure your heater has an auto shut-off to turn the heater off if it tips over.
Keep space heaters out of the way of foot traffic.
Never block an exit.
Keep children away from the space heater.
Plug the heater directly into the wall outlet.
Never use an extension cord.
Space heaters should be turned off and unplugged when you leave the room or go to bed.

Carbon monoxide safety

Often called the invisible killer, carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2023, the National Fire Incident Reporting System data included 82,245 CO incidents which required a local fire department response. This does not include the 79,051 CO alarm malfunctions and the 79,286 CO alarm activations where no CO was found present.

A 2023 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found unintentional non–fire-related CO poisoning between 2005 and 2018 to be annually responsible for approximately 101,847 emergency department (ED) visits (48.3 visits per 1 million), 14,365 hospitalizations (4.1 cases per 1 million), and at least 430 deaths.

Never use your stove as a primary heat source for your home; it is extremely dangerous and can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning and fires. Stoves are designed for cooking, not heating a room - overheating can occur.
Kerosene heaters should only be used indoors for short periods.
If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do not run a vehicle or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors are open. Make sure the exhaust pipe of a running vehicle is not covered with snow.
During and after a snowstorm, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove, and fireplace are clear of snow build-up.
A generator should be used in a well-ventilated location outdoors away from windows, doors, and vent openings.
Gas or charcoal grills can produce CO — only use outside.
CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home and in other locations where required by applicable laws, codes, or standards. For the best protection, interconnect all CO alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for placement and mounting height.
Choose a CO alarm that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for low batteries. If the battery is low, replace it. If it still sounds, call the fire department.
If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Make sure everyone inside the home is accounted for. Call for help from a fresh air location and stay there until emergency personnel.

CO enters the body through breathing. CO poisoning can be confused with flu symptoms, food poisoning and other illnesses. Some symptoms include shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, light headedness, or headaches. High levels of CO can be fatal, causing death within minutes.

The dangers of CO exposure depend on several variables, including the victim's health and activity level. Infants, pregnant women, and people with physical conditions that limit their body's ability to use oxygen (i.e. emphysema, asthma, heart disease) can be more severely affected by lower concentrations of CO than healthy adults would be.

The best way to stay safe is to ensure your home has working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. These can be purchased at any hardware store at a minimal cost. And don’t forget to make and practice a fire safety plan with your family!

If you have any questions or need more information about home heating or carbon monoxide safety, reach out to Chief of Fire Prevention, Dennis Hunter, at (313) 596-2929.