Fire crews offer electrical safety tips ahead of ice storm

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - As cold temperatures move into the area, there is concern over how some may choose to warm their homes.

Officials with the Jefferson County Fire Department said their biggest concerns are space heaters and carbon monoxide poisoning.

“As the temperatures drop, if you’re going to use a space heater to stay warm, make sure it’s a space heater that if it falls over or flips over, it shuts off,” Jefferson County spokesman Jordan Yuodis said.

Crews recently worked a fire that was started because of a space heater, and it is a reminder of how dangerous space heaters can be.

“I can’t (overstate) unplugging them,” Yuodis said. “People are running to the grocery store and leaving the space heater unplugged within a matter of an hour or so. They come back from the grocery store and their street is blocked off with fire trucks and they have lost everything that they own.”

In the event there are power outages, the team also wants to ensure that those using generators use them properly.

“Depending on how close that generator is to the house, if you have a vent just next to it, or a window that’s cracked open, it doesn’t take any time for a family to get carbon monoxide poisoning,” Yuodis said.