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Winter Fire Safety

Always Be Careful with Heaters

A neatly stacked pile of cut wooden logs.

Heating is the second leading cause of U.S. home fires, deaths and injuries. December, January, and February are the peak months for heating fires.

Space heaters are the type of equipment most often involved in home heating equipment fires, figuring in two of every five fires (40%).

Here are important facts about keeping your family and home safe from fire this winter season!

Facts About Home Heating Fire

Although trending downward since the early 1980s, heating fires remained the second leading cause of home fires in 2021. Cooking is the first. An estimated 32,200 home heating fires were reported to fire departments within the United States. These fires caused an estimated 190 deaths, 625 injuries and $442 million in property loss.

Home heating fires peaked in the early evening hours between 5:00 and 9:00 p.m., with the highest number between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m.

Home heating fires are most frequent in January (21%) and decline to the lowest point from June to August.

Confined fires (a small fire that is limited to a specific area, such as a container, fireplace, or building) accounted for 75% of home heating fires.

Twenty-nine percent of the non-confined home heating fires happened because the heat source (like a space heater or fire place) was too close to things that can burn.

Quick Tips

  • Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heaters.
  • Have a 3-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
  • Never use your oven to heat your home.
  • Always use the right kind of fuel for fuel-burning space heaters.
  • Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
  • Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
  • Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room.

Quick Tips to Share

Share these graphics with your family and friends this winter season! We encourage you to print these and also share on social media.

An infographic promoting fire safety for holiday decorations, advising keeping Christmas trees away from heat sources and to follow lights instructions.
An infographic advising fire safety during holidays with tips on candle usage and suggesting battery-operated flameless candles.
An illustration of a person placing a candle in a sturdy holder with a safety message about preventing candle tipping.
A graphic with text advising safe placement of candles in stable holders to prevent tipping.
An infographic recommending the use of flameless battery-operated candles, stating they look, smell, and feel like real candles.
Graphic promoting battery-operated flameless candles, stating they mimic real candles, with images of candles and batteries.
A safety message in Spanish about keeping candles 12 inches away from flammable items and considering flameless candles for decoration.
A fire safety message advising to keep candles 12 inches away from flammable objects and consider flameless candles.
An infographic promoting fire safety for holiday decorations, advising keeping Christmas trees away from heat sources and to follow lights instructions.
An infographic advising fire safety during holidays with tips on candle usage and suggesting battery-operated flameless candles.
An illustration of a person placing a candle in a sturdy holder with a safety message about preventing candle tipping.
A graphic with text advising safe placement of candles in stable holders to prevent tipping.
An infographic recommending the use of flameless battery-operated candles, stating they look, smell, and feel like real candles.
Graphic promoting battery-operated flameless candles, stating they mimic real candles, with images of candles and batteries.
A safety message in Spanish about keeping candles 12 inches away from flammable items and considering flameless candles for decoration.
A fire safety message advising to keep candles 12 inches away from flammable objects and consider flameless candles.

Source for Content: National Fire Protection Association and U.S. Fire Administration.