Heating Equipment/Portable Heater Fires – Recognize the Risks

National Fire Protection Association Statistics 2013 – 2017

Heating Equipment Fires in Residential Buildings

  • An average of 52,000 per year Home Structure Fires involve Heating Equipment
    • 490 Civilian Deaths on average per year
    • 1400 Civilian Injuries on average per year
    • $1 Billion in Direct Property Damage on average per year

#1 Portable Heaters Fires

  • Portable Heaters are a subset of Home Structure Fires accounting for an estimated 44% of Heating Equipment Fires in the United States each year. (2 of every 5 Heating Equipment Fires)
  • 22,880 Home Structure Fires caused by Portable Heaters
  • The term “portable heater fires” applies to those fires that are caused by catalytic heaters, oil-filled heaters, or other heaters that are designed to be carried or moved for use in a variety of locations. Portable heaters are a subset of space heaters—small heaters designed to heat specific areas or rooms of a building.

Think About It!

  • Portable Heaters represent the number one Heating Equipment fire hazard in residential buildings. They accounted for a majority of the fatal heating fires in homes.
  • Think about the odds!
    • You may have only have one Central Heat source, one Water Heater or one Fireplace but a Tenant can put a Portable Heater in every room of the rental property.
  • Many of these type of fires are preventable!
    • Placing the heater too close to combustible items
    • Leaving the heater unattended

Additional Heating Equipment Fires

  • Fireplaces (32% of Heating Equipment Fires)
  • Central Heat (12% of Heating Equipment Fires)
  • Water Heater (10% of Heating Equipment Fires)
  • Heat Lamps (2% of Heating Equipment Fires)

Get Protected – Let Stop Loss be your Trusted Source for Heating Equipment Fire Hazards

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