Space heaters pose a risk for fire and do not follow our core value of sustainability.
Employees in the Maryland Bar Center are safe after a small space heater fire thanks to quick thinking from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Department of Public Safety. The fire started the afternoon of Monday, March 13, when a space heater was plugged into an extension cord, was left on, and was unattended.
“Space heaters can be very dangerous, especially when plugged into an extension cord,” said UMB Fire Marshal Andrew Roberts. “Space heaters draw a lot of power and can easily overload extension cords, which are only rated to handle a certain amount of power.”
Using an extension cord that is undersized can cause it to overheat and catch fire, like what happened at the Maryland Bar Center. Based on a preliminary investigation, Roberts believes the power cord was altered and spliced with an extension cord, making the fire even more likely to occur.
UMB security officer Nautica Dove says she smelled something burning from the end of the hall and then heard a popping noise. She leapt into action, pulled the fire alarm, and called 911. Dove also contacted UMB police communications operator (PCO) Corey Johnson-Larkins, who notified the UMB Fire Marshal and UMB police officers. As the alarms sounded, the security officer made sure everyone evacuated safely.
“Security officer Dove identified the hazard and acted quickly,” says Roberts. “Thanks to her quick thinking, our PCOs were able to notify the right people immediately. The Baltimore City Fire Department arrived on-scene and extinguished the fire before it caused any significant damage.”
The Maryland Bar Center is protected with an automatic fire sprinkler system and automatic fire alarm system, which are inspected each year. Because UMB security officer Dove manually activated the fire alarm system, the fire was identified and extinguished before the sprinkler system activated. Firefighters threw the space heater out of the first-floor window and used a water can to put out the flames.
Space heaters don’t align with UMB’s core value of sustainability; in addition to posing a risk for fire, space heaters draw significant power, can trip a circuit breaker, and can actually make your office colder. According to an article from the Office of Sustainability, space heaters can cause the thermostat to think the space is warmer than it is and turn off the central heat.
While space heaters are strongly discouraged at UMB, there are some steps you can take to use them safely in your home office:
- Never leave a space heater on and unattended; turn it off when you leave the room.
- Plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet.
- Do not use an extension cord or power strip.
- Do not use space heaters with altered, frayed, or worn power cords.
Learn additional space heater safety tips from the Electrical Safety Foundation International.
The UMB Office of the Fire Marshal is responsible for keeping the UMB community safe and ensuring compliance with the Maryland Fire Prevention Code. Other common code violations include propping open fire doors; blocking fire pull stations, fire extinguishers, or other life-safety equipment; stringing together power strips; using extension cords; and blocking emergency exits. Learn more about the UMB Office of the Fire Marshal, common code violations, training opportunities, and more.