ATLANTA, Ga. — With parts of the metro area in line for the season’s first freeze this weekend, Atlanta Fire Rescue is reminding people in Atlanta, Georgia, that cold weather is when its crews stay busiest.
Capt. Andrew Anderson said the department tracks a clear jump in calls as temperatures fall, a stretch firefighters call fire season. Some departments log close to half of a year’s calls between December and February, he said.
The causes are familiar: electrical problems, heating equipment, chimneys and outdoor burning. Space heaters become a danger when blankets, furniture or other things that can burn sit too close. Overloaded extension cords and power strips tucked near carpet or bedding are another common trigger, especially when cords run under rugs or layers of fabric or have worn, exposed wires.
Chimneys can be sneaky. A fire inside a flue may smolder unnoticed until it is out of control, so the department recommends a professional inspection once a year.
National numbers show why the warning matters. In 2021, heating trailed only one other cause of U.S. house fires, according to the U.S. Fire Administration, with about 32,200 home heating fires reported across the country. Those fires killed an estimated 190 people, injured 625 and caused about $442 million in damage.
Portable heaters are a small share of the problem by count, about 3% of home heating fires, but they were behind 41% of the deadly ones. Keeping heaters clear of anything flammable and plugging them straight into the wall are simple steps that cut that risk.
Section: More Atlanta GA crime news
Filed under: Atlanta GA Public Safety News
