Family of six displaced after officials say space heater caused house fire

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Three adults and three children are displaced from their home on Candlelite Drive in Columbia after officials say a space heater caused a fast-moving fire.

According to Mike DeSumma with the Columbia Fire Department, firefighters arrived to the Watson family home just after four o’clock on Monday.

“When we got inside the home, we had smoke throughout the property that made visibility really hard. Ultimately, our crews were able to trace the fire to the attic area as well as the rear of the property and bring it under control,” he says.

Luckily no one was home when the incident took place. While the family chose not to be interviewed, ABC Columbia’s Lee Williams was allowed inside and shown the aftermath throughout the bedrooms, living room, and kitchen, as well as the outlet a family member says the space heater was plugged into. She also told Williams she believes the space heater was off before they left the home.

“It could’ve been caused by an electrical surge of some kind, we’re not sure, but at the end of the day we do believe it started with a space heater in this case,” says DeSumma.

When it comes to heating devices, there are a number of tips to help keep you and your family safe — including making sure the cord is not frayed and fully intact, and never plugging the unit into an extension cord.

“And then the big thing is, supervision and making sure you’re not running them unattended. Do not run them when you go to sleep. Turn them off. You also want to have that space heater at least three feet away from anything that can burn. You don’t want to have it near curtains. You don’t wanna have it on shag carpeting. You want it on a level flat surface where you can run it and it can run safely,” says DeSumma.

He also says if you aren’t using the space heater, unplug it, and also recommends only using one with a built-in kill-switch.

“A space heater tilts over tilts forward, you’ve got a heating source going right on your floor right on your carpet. That’s a fire waiting to happen,” says DeSumma, adding, “We have had major fires here in Columbia some of which started in apartment buildings and consumed whole buildings that were started by space heaters. So it’s a small culprit that at the end of the day, if not used properly and not used with the proper supervision, can have very dangerous consequences.”