Of the several major apartment fires that occurred in Metro Detroit recently, at least one was believed to have been caused by someone using a stove for heat -- something that people all across the country are doing to stay warm in this bitter cold.
But experts warn that using a stove to warm your home is dangerous.
“In the winter time, heat and gas safety, is really important an important thing to get at the top of mind,” said Dan Brudzynski, vice president of gas, sales and supply with DTE. “The stove is not a good idea to use. It’s just a dangerous appliance to use.”
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Brudzynski says although stoves may be the quickest way to get warm, if your heat is not working, using the stove is just dangerous.
Instead, he suggests other ways to stay warm, including being conscious about clothing, space heaters and points of entry that could cause drafts.
“If you’re using a space heater, please keep it clear from any combustibles, whether it be paper, fabric or drapes,” Brudzynski said. “Maybe layering up your clothes -- that’s the easiest way to get comfort. You really need to look for drafts in your house: window sashes, window sills, doors. Take a towel, wrap it up really tightly, put it along that door jam or that window sill and that will help.”
The expert’s advice comes just after an apartment complex on Detroit’s east side caught on fire on Wednesday. Fire crews said that tenants living inside the building used their stove for heat due to problems with the heating system.
Read: Detroit apartment fire that injured 3 likely caused by stoves used for heat
Click here for information on warming centers open in Metro Detroit.