Firefighters: Seymour home fire sparked by space heater

Note: This story has been updated

Seymour firefighters say that a home fire Monday on Laurel Street was ignited by a space heater too close to bedding.

According to the Seymour Fire Department, when firefighters arrived on the scene of the reported structure fire, they found heavy smoke coming from the home. They entered the home to make an offensive attack on the fire and soon encountered heavy fire. Then the roof collapsed and they had to quickly retreat. They then made a defensive attack from outside and the fire was quickly brought under control and extinguished.

Based on their investigation, firefighters concluded that the fire was sparked by a space heater that had been placed too close to bedding and other combustible materials. They say that this is the third such fire in the past two weeks, where combustible materials were left to close to a space or baseboard heater.

Seymour firefighters are offering space heater safety tips:

• Keep a 3-foot safety zone. Always place space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn-curtains, bedding, furniture, clothing, or paper.
• Never leave them unattended. Turn space heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep. Many fires happen when heaters are left running unattended.
• Use heaters with safety features. Choose models with automatic shut-off features, such as tip-over protection and overheat protection.
• Plug directly into the wall. Space heaters should be plugged straight into a wall outlet. Avoid extension cords or power strips, which can overheat and cause fires.