Firefighters in Rutherford County have stayed busy fighting several house fires that were caused by space heaters.
According to fire officials, the department has responded to a total of seven space heater-related fires in the month of January. Fire officials blamed the uptick of improper use of space heaters.
"When you buy these space heaters, follow the instructions in the manual. Don't put extension cords in front of it," said Matthew Lupo.
On Thursday morning, firefighters responded to yet another fire caused by a heater. This time - as a clothes were left in front of a mounted wall heater.
"A woman was able to cut off the power to the heat source... all of a sudden there's smoke in the room," said Hannah Bleam.
Because the family was able to smell the smoke, they were able to catch the fire before it spread to other parts of the home.
Fire officials recommend being in the same room with a space heater if you plan on using one to prevent a fire. They also recommend never plugging the heater into an extension cord. Plug it straight into the wall.
