REGION: Cold weather brings its own fire threat

Fireplaces, heaters must be properly used, maintained

By COLLEEN MENSCHING - Staff Writer | Tuesday, October 21, 2008 3:09 PM PDT ∞

Wildfires like the one that threatened homes on and around Camp Pendleton this month aren't the only seasonal fire menace. Just days earlier, an Encinitas home was gutted by flames that escaped a fireplace.

"The house was fully involved when the first crew got there," said Encinitas firefighter-paramedic Adam Heer. "Fire out the back, front and both sides."

The night before had been cool and investigators suspect a fireplace fire spread to a box of starter logs left too close to the hearth. Though no one was hurt, the inside of the home was completely destroyed.

Officials called the blaze an example of how preventable home heating accidents can be devastating.

"The nights are getting colder now and people need to be very careful about any sort of auxiliary heat they use in their homes," said Vista fire marshal and Palomar Mountain Chief George Lucia.

Auxiliary heating sources include fireplaces, wood-burning stoves and kerosene heaters.

Lucia said though such items are used commonly in California, they are not always used safely.

Periodically, firefighters will respond to a space heater fire and find the item had been recalled by the manufacturers years ago, he said.

In other cases, heaters are left running too close to paper, fabrics or other flammable materials.

Capt. John Buchanan of Fallbrook advised fireplace owners to clean carbon build-up known as creosote out of their chimneys every year.

"The creosote can actually cause fires in the chimney," he said.

Fireplaces ---- along with stoves, gas heaters and water heaters ---- also produce carbon dioxide. If not properly ventilated, the colorless, odorless gas can poison residents, causing dizziness, fatigue, headache and shortness of breath.

Though only property was damaged in the Encinitas fireplace blaze, North County has seen its share of heating fire deaths and fatal carbon monoxide poisoning, officials said.

"One year, we had six people die just here in Fallbrook," Buchanan said.

Lucia said he's a little more anxious than usual about the potential for house fires this winter.

"Because of the cost of fuel and the economy the way it is, we could see a lot of people trying to use auxiliary heat instead of paying for gas bills," he said.

The National Fire Protection Association recommends the following to prevent home-heating accidents, injuries and deaths:

-- Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from heating equipment.

-- Do not use your oven to heat your home.

-- Portable space heaters should be turned off every time you leave the room and before going to bed.

-- Make sure your fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from flying into the room.

-- Allow fireplace and woodstove ashes to cool before disposing in a metal container.

-- Have heating equipment and chimneys inspected and cleaned every year.

-- Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home. Test smoke alarms monthly.

-- Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Contact staff writer Colleen Mensching at (760) 739-6675 or cmensching@nctimes.com.