Plunging temperatures forecast for Southeast Texas this weekend are raising concerns about an increased risk of home heating fires, a danger fire officials say often peaks during extreme cold snaps.
Heating equipment is the second-leading cause of home fires in the United States, trailing only cooking, and portable space heaters account for the vast majority of home heating fire deaths. With overnight temperatures expected to drop well below freezing — and some forecasts calling for lows in the teens Monday morning — many residents may turn to alternative heat sources to stay warm.
Officials with the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office warn the dangerous cold weather makes now the time to prepare homes properly and to check on neighbors, especially the elderly. While a spike in home heating fires is common during severe cold, officials say many of those fires — and the resulting injuries and deaths — are preventable.
Home heating fires often occur at the worst possible time, frequently breaking out in the middle of the night while families are asleep. Space heaters are especially deadly, accounting for four out of every five home heating fire deaths. Fire safety officials say the single most important step residents can take is to ensure working smoke alarms are installed throughout the home, particularly in sleeping areas. Homes with functioning smoke alarms significantly improve occupants’ chances of surviving a fire.
According to the National Fire Protection Association’s most recent heating equipment statistics, there was an annual average of 37,365 home heating fires nationwide from 2020 through 2024. Those fires accounted for 11 percent of all reported home fires during that period and resulted in an estimated 417 civilian deaths, 1,260 injuries and $1.2 billion in property damage each year.
A leading factor in fatal heating fires is heating equipment placed too close to combustible materials such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattresses or bedding. Fire officials urge residents to follow basic safety practices when using any type of heating equipment, including:
• Maintaining at least a 3-foot clearance between heating equipment and anything that can burn.
• Inspecting and maintaining heating equipment regularly to ensure it is safe to use.
• Having fixed space heaters installed and checked by a qualified technician according to manufacturer instructions and applicable codes.
• Purchasing portable space heaters that are listed by a recognized testing laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories.
• Turning off space heaters whenever leaving a room and before going to bed.
• Using space heaters equipped with automatic shutoff features that activate if the unit tips over.
• Never using space heaters to dry clothing.
• Never using an oven to heat a home.
• Installing smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, and interconnecting alarms so that when one sounds, they all sound.
• Testing smoke alarms monthly.
• Installing and maintaining carbon monoxide alarms in homes with gas appliances to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Fire officials stress that a few simple precautions can make a critical difference during periods of extreme cold, helping families stay warm without putting their lives at risk.