Heating homes attributed to uptick in home fires: 9 steps to avoid a winter home fire
Feb. 19, 2025
SOUTH BEND — The Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that home fires occur more in winter than any other season and half of all home fires are from December to February, but are local fire departments seeing evidence of this in the South Bend community?
South Bend Fire Department Assistant Chief of Operations Mike Damiano couldn’t confirm these claims without taking a closer look at the data — which The Tribune has filed a Access to Public Records Act request for — but said, “In the winter, more and more people are trying to heat their homes, and sometimes, they’re not heating it appropriately.”
Despite FEMA’s assertions, South Bend experienced fewer fires in December 2024 compared to August. According to a Monthly Statistical Analysis, South Bend Firefighters Local 362 reported on Facebook, December had 42 fires, of all types, and August had 54.
Damiano couldn’t narrow down a single reason to confirm why house fires are prevalent in the winter.
“There’s so many different variables,” he said.
Fires can be set intentionally or accidentally, Damiano said. Squatters in a vacant structure might start a fire on the floor to keep warm, he said. If they leave it unattended, the structure catches on fire.
On Feb. 8, a vacant two-story commercial building on Mishawaka Avenue and Louise Street caught fire. The fire department said that this building had been vacant for several years and had had multiple fires. No injuries were reported and the fire is under investigation.
Four days earlier, a garage in the 1100 block of Huey Street caught on fire. The fire was “fully involved” when firefighters arrived, South Bend Firefighters Local 362 reported on Facebook, and the fire was under control in 10 minutes.
On Feb. 12, fire crews responded to a residential fire on the 1000 block of North Brookfield Street. The fire was “well advanced” in the home’s attic, Firefighters Local 362 said.
Ron Melser, fire marshal at Clay Fire Territory, said most winter fires originate from chimney fires, portable space heaters, candles and cooking fires. The National Fire Protection Association reported in a Jan. 2025 press release that 46% of all home heating equipment fires occur from December to February.
According to NFPA 2019-2023 data, U.S. fire departments responded to an annual estimated average of 38,881 home heating equipment fires, which resulted in 432 civilian deaths. Space heaters and heating stoves contributed to 29% of these fires, NFPA said.
South Bend's most recent deadliest fire Catch up with all The Tribune's coverage of the LaPorte Avenue house fire that killed six
Although the Indiana State Fire Marshal couldn't determine the cause of the Jan. 21, 2024, fire at 222 N. LaPorte Ave. that killed six children, the wintertime residential fire spurred interest a year ago in smoke alarms and fire extinguishers as essential home safety tools. But memories fade with time, so here are nine reminders about winter fire safety:
Steps to take to prevent home fires
Check a gas or electric furnace to make sure it’s operating correctly.
Check the flue in a fireplace. A mechanical fire can be caused by buildup, known as creosote, in the flue. Damiano said to make sure the flue is in clean and appropriate condition for ventilating of the byproducts of combustion. Additionally, a chimney should be cleaned and inspected every year, Melser said.
Place auxiliary heating appliances away from combustible items that easily catch fire, such as curtains or blankets. Space heaters need to have about a 3-foot clearance from anything combustible and be plugged directly into a wall outlet — not an extension cord or power strip, Melser said.
Don’t overload an electrical outlet. Only one heat-producing appliance, such as a toaster or coffee maker, should be plugged into a receptacle outlet at a time. “You can’t plug in two or three space heaters in one electrical outlet and expect it to not trip or potentially cause a problem down the road,” Damiano said.
Read the manual for heating appliances.
Don’t leave heating sources unattended. Damiano cautioned not to leave the stove on to heat a home. “Those things usually do not end well, especially if they’re left unattended,” he said. Candles, cooking, fire in a fireplace and space heaters should also never be left alone. From 2015 to 2019, an average of 7,400 home candle fires were reported each year, NFPA reported.
Keep pets away from heating sources. Any type of heating appliance should not be on without at least one person home. “A dog or a cat doesn’t know what that is and if they are jumping or playing around and hit it, if it doesn’t have a safety switch, that can lead to a really bad outcome,” Damiano said.
A fire extinguisher should be on hand to put out small fires. Forty-four percent of all home fires in the U.S. were attributed to cooking fires. Combustible items – oven mitts, dish towels or paper towels – should be kept away from the cooking area. If a grease fire starts, NFPA instructs people to slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
Have a working smoke and carbon monoxide detector. Residents should make sure detectors have new batteries and are less than 10 years old, Melser said.