With deadly house fires on the rise, experts talk fire safety

JACKSON, Tenn. — This January was the third deadliest month for fires across Tennessee, and according to Communications Director for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Kevin Walters, they want people to take fire safety seriously.

“We are renewing our call to all Tennesseans to turn their focus on fire prevention for the remainder of the winter,” Walters said. “The cold weather every year contributes to fires because when the temperatures go down, you turn to heating sources in your house to stay warm.”

In a public service announcement they created along with the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office, it displays precautions people should take to avoid hazards that can cause fires — with heating units being the No. 1 cause.

“Our data shows that 37.7 percent of fatal heating fires may have been caused by electric space heaters, with the second leading cause wood stoves,” Walters said.

Madison County Fire Marshal Don Friddle says he is pushing for people to make sure their smoke detectors are working properly.

“The cause may be heating units,” Friddle said. “The fire deaths themselves are occurring because of lack of working smoke alarms.”

Friddle says there hasn’t been any fire-related deaths in the county this year. But with two months of winter left, he says taking safety precautions and having escape plans are key.

“We can’t prevent all fires, but there’s no reason why we shouldn’t prevent all deaths,” Friddle said.