The Dafter Township Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a residence near Mackinac Trail and 6 Mile road just after 12:30 a.m. Wednesday for a fire.
When they arrived, the fire was already extinguished, according to Fire Chief Austin Conway.
"Minor damage to the home. Fire was out prior to arrival. We confirmed the fire was out and had no extension into the walls using our thermal imaging camera," he said.
The cause of the fire was concerning to Conway.
"The space heater was plugged into a power strip that had several other items on it. Space heaters should never be plugged into a power strip or extension cord," he said.
Several different kinds of space heaters are available to warm up a room, but the message is the same when plugging one in.
Conway provided these tips from the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA):
• Purchase a heater with the seal of a qualified testing laboratory.
• Keep the heater at least 3 feet (1 metre) away from anything that can burn, including people.
• Choose a heater with a thermostat and overheat protection.
• Place the heater on a solid, flat surface.
• Make sure your heater has an auto shut-off to turn the heater off if it tips over.
• Keep space heaters out of the way of foot traffic. Never block an exit.
• Keep children away from the space heater.
• Plug the heater directly into the wall outlet.
• Space heaters should be turned off and unplugged when you leave the room or go to bed and never use an extension cord.
