December 23, 2021 10:00 a.m.

With the cold months of winter upon the state of Oregon, the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal would like to remind people to be safe when it comes to keeping warm and heating their homes.

An OSFM release said in 2020, heating was the number two cause of home structure fires in Oregon. Firefighters across the state responded to 487 home structure fires, or 17 percent of all fires where the cause was determined to be from heating.

Assistant Chief Deputy Claire McGrew said, “As the temperatures drop and winter weather encourages us to spend more time inside it is important to heat your home safely”. She said, “Every winter across the state we see house fires that could have been prevented. We want to remind Oregonians of simple home heating tips to protect themselves and their families this winter”.

OSFM offers tips for all heating types:

*Use heating equipment that has a label of a recognized testing laboratory

*Keep things that burn, such as paper, curtains, bedding, or furniture, at least three feet away from all heating equipment

*Keep a three-foot “kid and pet-free zone” around all heating equipment

For more information about home heating safety, go to: https://www.oregon.gov/osp/programs/sfm/Pages/ElectricalHeatingSafety.aspx