With the anticipated stretch of cold weather this weekend, many residents may use indoor space heaters as a way to stay warm.

Perry Fire Chief Grason Hill says it’s important to not plug space heaters into a power strip as it can overload the electrical system and cause a fire. He encourages residents to instead plug them directly into an outlet and to make sure that outlet can handle the wattage of the space heater.

“It’s going to get really cold and people like to use a supplemental heater. They just need to remember that you never want to use a drop cord for one of those, plug those directly into a good wall outlet with a ground. Make sure that they always turn them off before they go to bed or go anywhere and don’t put anything close. Think about kids, animals because they do get extremely hot. You always want to be safe when you do things like that.”

He also reminds those with fireplaces to inspect the chimney before using them. 

“It’s just that time of year with all of the wood burning and the electrical heaters, you want to take extra precautions to make sure everything is in good shape and ready to go.”

Hill adds that those burning candles should make sure they keep them at least 12” from flammable curtains and should extinguish them before they leave the room or go to bed.

For more winter fire safety tips, check out yesterday’s Let’s Talk Dallas County program.