Temperatures are expected to remain mild through the week, but the State Fire Marshal says space heaters are still a leading cause of house fires. State Fire Marshal Randy Cole says he’s seeing the spike.
Cole says the number of fire fatalities in Missouri in the last month are concerning — five people in an apartment complex, two people in one home fire, and two children in another.
Cole says it’s important folks know their smoke alarms are functioning and they know how to react in an emergency. He says more often than not, people think it won’t happen to them … and unfortunately, that’s not the case. He’s also asking folks to plan and discuss an evacuation plan, and make sure out-of-town guests know the plan as well. An important part of that, he says, is making sure everyone knows where the family meeting place is outside the home so everyone can be accounted for. No one should ever go back into a burning home once they’ve made it out safely.
He warns that unattended candles are another leading cause of rapid-spread fires during winter months and especially during the holiday season.
AUDIO: Jessica Machetta reports (:65)
