HENDERSON (KSNV MyNews3) -- Winter is around the corner, and that has many people turning to space heaters to keep warm.
Firefighters say a house fire was caused by one this weekend. But it's not always the space heaters that are the problem -- it's how they're being used.
A blackened space heater sits next to charred mattress on the front yard of a Henderson home on Metropolitan Street.
They're the evidence of what caused Sunday's fire. Firefighters say an unattended operating space heater was left too close to bedding. The flames ripped through the house causing $50,000 in damage.
No one was inside the home when the fire broke out, but neighbor Roy Clegg says once he saw the smoke and flames, he grabbed a hose and started spraying.
Henderson fire officials say they put out the blaze in 10 minutes. The neighboring homes on Metropolitan Street were spared. Still, neighbor Rosemary Arrendale is convinced the fire could have been avoided if the necessary precautions were taken.
Firefighters say there are things you can do to protect your family as temperatures drop to near-freezing.
If you use a space heater, do not sleep with it on and be sure to unplug it when you're not using it.
Keep your space heater 3 feet away from furniture or drapes.
And the precautions don't stop with space heaters.
Firefighters say don't use ovens or barbeques to heat your home. That is dangerous because of the deadly fumes they emit.
