Space heaters are among the most dangerous items in a home, yet many people rely on small, portable heaters during cold spells, especially in older, drafty houses and apartments. When a space heater is defective or sold without adequate warnings, the result can be a house fire, severe burns, electric shock or the death of a loved one. The Killino Firm represents people and families harmed by electric space heater fires and holds the companies behind these products accountable. Call 878-888-7878 for a free, confidential consultation.
If a child was burned, see our child burn injury page, which covers the rules and damages that apply to injured children.
How Common Are Space Heater Fires?
Heating equipment is the second-leading cause of home fires in the United States and the third-leading cause of home fire deaths. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), space heaters cause about one-third of all winter house fires, but they account for about 80 percent of the deaths. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that portable electric heaters are involved in more than one thousand fires every year, resulting in about 50 deaths and dozens of injuries.
These numbers are higher than many people expect, in part because people let their guard down. A space heater produces no visible flame, especially if it is the kind built into a wall or has a hidden heating element, so it can feel safer than a fireplace. Most space heater fires also happen at night, when people are asleep and slow to notice smoke, which helps explain the high death rate. A small defect in a cord, a plug or a thermostat can turn a heater that was working fine at bedtime into a fire before morning.
Are Space Heaters Safe?
A well-made space heater that is safety certified, in good condition and used exactly as directed can be used safely. But space heater safety depends on both the product and the user. Space heaters are high-wattage appliances, and they can ignite nearby materials, from curtains and bedding to flammable liquids. Safety features such as a tip-over switch can also create a false sense of security, so people leave a heater running in situations where they otherwise would not. If a heater is unsafe even when it is used as instructed, the problem may be the product and not the person who was using it, and the manufacturer may be responsible.
Can a Space Heater Cause a Fire?
Yes. A space heater fire can start in many ways. Space heaters are powered either by electricity or by fuel, and both types are known to cause fires. There may be a manufacturing or design defect, such as a bad wire, a loose connection or a faulty thermostat. The heater may overheat, or it may be used near flammable objects or fuel-burning appliances. If that happened, you may have a claim in a space heater lawsuit against the manufacturer or other companies.
Because these heaters use so much electricity, they can overload a circuit and start a fire in the wall or at the outlet. They can become extremely hot and burn skin or ignite clothing that touches them. They can pose a shock hazard if the wiring or insulation is defective, and they can tip over and start a fire if the shutoff switch fails. Each of these problems can come from a design flaw or a manufacturing error, which is what a product liability claim looks at.
Can You Leave a Space Heater On Overnight?
It is not safe to leave a space heater running while you sleep or when you leave the room. Fires that start at night are more deadly because people are asleep and do not smell smoke in time. Turn the heater off before you go to bed, and use a safer way to stay warm overnight, such as extra blankets, warm clothing or a heating system that is built into the home. If a heater with an automatic shutoff and overheat protection still caught fire while you were following the instructions, it may be defective, and you should keep it and call us.
Can You Plug a Space Heater Into a Power Strip or Extension Cord?
No. Space heaters draw so much power that power strips and most extension cords can overheat and start a fire. Plug a space heater directly into a wall outlet, and do not share that outlet with other high-power devices. If the plug or the outlet gets hot, stop using the heater right away. A heater whose own plug overheats under normal use may have a defect in the plug or the cord.
How Much Power Does a Space Heater Use?
Many portable electric space heaters draw up to about 1,500 watts, which is a lot for a household circuit. Running one alongside other appliances on the same circuit can overload it. That is why warnings about outlets, cords and attended use matter so much, and why a manufacturer that does not warn clearly about them may be found responsible for resulting fires.
What Is the Safest Space Heater?
No heater is risk free, but safer models share certain features. They carry a safety certification mark from a recognized testing laboratory and have an automatic shutoff if the unit tips over, as well as overheat protection. They also have a guard around the heating element, a stable base, and a heavy-duty cord with a plug that stays cool. Before you buy, and again after, check the CPSC recall list for your brand and model. Even the safest space heater should be kept three feet from anything that can burn and turned off when you leave the room.
What About Propane and Other Fuel-Burning Heaters?
Propane, kerosene and other fuel-burning heaters bring dangers of their own, including fuel leaks, open flames, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning. If a fuel-burning heater malfunctioned, leaked or ignited, the same product liability rules can apply. See our page on carbon monoxide poisoning for more.
How Far Should a Space Heater Be From Things?
Manufacturers warn that space heaters must be attended at all times and kept at least three feet away from anything that can burn, and the NFPA gives the same guidance. In a small room, that distance is often hard to keep, which is one reason inadequate warnings and design flaws matter so much in space heater cases.
How Can You Use a Space Heater Safely?
Buy a heater that has been safety certified and confirm that with the seller. Read all manufacturer instructions and warning labels before you use it. Keep the heater and everything that can burn at least three feet apart, and turn it off whenever you leave the room or go to sleep. Plug it directly into a wall outlet and never into an extension cord or power strip. Place it on a level, stable surface, away from foot traffic so that no one trips on it. Choose a model that has a guard around the heating element and an automatic shutoff if the unit tips over, and when you are not using it, store it in a safe, dry place.
Inadequate Space Heater Warnings: Are Manufacturers Responsible?
Manufacturers must test their heaters to make sure that they shut off if tipped over and do not ignite combustible materials that touch them. But those precautions are still not enough to guarantee safety. To prevent future accidents, space heater manufacturers must be held responsible for the fire deaths, burn injuries and property damage their products cause, and that includes cases where the warnings on the product and in the manual did not make the risk clear.
Why Are Space Heaters So Dangerous?
Space heaters are often used in low-income communities as a primary heat source when landlords fail to provide adequate heating. As a result, people in these communities suffer a higher share of deaths and burn injuries. If a landlord’s failure to provide heat contributed to a fire, other parties may share responsibility, and our lawyers can look at that as well.
What Injuries Can a Space Heater Fire Cause?
Space heater fires often cause second-degree and third-degree burns, especially to the hands, arms and face, and these can leave permanent scarring and disfigurement. Severe burns can require skin grafts and months of treatment. Smoke inhalation can injure the lungs even when a person is not burned, and fuel-burning heaters can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. A defective electrical heater can also cause electric shock. In the worst cases, a space heater fire is fatal, and the family may have a wrongful death claim.
Can You Sue After a Space Heater Fire?
Not all space heaters are made equally. Manufacturers have a responsibility to protect consumers, and it is important to understand your rights. The Killino Firm can investigate a potential case and pursue compensation for people harmed by unsafe products, which are known as defective product claims. If a manufacturer makes a product that is unsafe when used as instructed, or fails to give adequate warnings about its dangers, it can be held responsible for the personal injury or property damage the product causes.
What Makes a Space Heater Legally Defective?
A space heater claim usually rests on one or more of three kinds of defect. A design defect means the design itself is unreasonably dangerous, even when the heater is built as planned, for example a design with no tip-over shutoff or no overheat protection. A manufacturing defect means something went wrong in production, such as a bad wire, a loose connection or a broken motor mount. A failure to warn means the heater lacked adequate warnings or instructions about a danger that the manufacturer knew or should have known about. Depending on your state, a claim may be brought under strict liability, negligence or breach of warranty, and a lawyer can tell you which apply to your case.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Space Heater Fire?
Depending on the facts, responsible parties can include the manufacturer, the designer, the retailer and the distributor of the heater. A landlord or property owner may share responsibility in some cases. Our lawyers review the product, its warnings, its recall history and the fire investigation to identify every company that may be liable, because each may carry separate insurance.
What Compensation Is Available After a Space Heater Fire?
A victim of an unsafe product may be awarded compensation paid by the manufacturer, designer, retailer or distributor. Depending on the case, this can include medical expenses such as burn care, surgery and rehabilitation, lost wages and loss of earning capacity, property damage to the home and belongings, pain and suffering and permanent scarring. Families who lose a loved one may also recover wrongful death damages.
What Should You Do After a Space Heater Fire?
Get everyone out and call 911. Get medical care for burns and smoke inhalation, even if injuries seem minor. When it is safe, take photos of the heater, the outlet, the cord and the damage. Do not throw away, clean up or return the heater, because it is the most important piece of evidence. Keep the box, the manual, the receipt and any fire department or insurance reports, report the incident to the CPSC at cpsc.gov, and call The Killino Firm before you give statements to a manufacturer or an insurance company.
How Long Do You Have To File a Space Heater Lawsuit?
Every state sets a deadline, called a statute of limitations, for product liability and wrongful death claims. In many states the deadline is two years, but it varies by state and by the facts of the case. Evidence also gets harder to preserve over time. Contact us as soon as you can so we can tell you the deadline that applies to you.
What Have Space Heater Fires Caused?
A California federal jury in 2015 awarded over $59 million to the family of a woman who died in a fire sparked by a Sunbeam Products Inc. space heater. The company was found negligent in designing the product and in failing to adequately warn consumers. The verdict shows how seriously juries can take a manufacturer’s failures when a heater kills.
Which Space Heaters Have Been Recalled?
Hundreds of lawsuits are pending against the makers of recalled space heater models, and recalls are still announced regularly, including recalls of GoveeLife and Govee smart electric space heaters for overheating, fire and burn hazards. Check the CPSC recall list for your heater, and read more on our product recalls page. A recall does not remove your right to bring a claim if you were hurt. Heated bedding raises similar fire risks, so see our electric blanket fire page too.
Vornado
Vornado Air of Andover, Kansas, recalled about 5,100 Vornado Sunny CS heaters sold in the U.S. and Canada after five reports of the heaters catching fire. A broken motor mount can allow the electric heating element to touch interior plastic and ignite, which poses fire and burn hazards. The heaters were sold at Bed Bath & Beyond, buybuy Baby and other stores nationwide, and online, from October 2017 through December 2017 for about $100. In April 2018, Vornado recalled 350,000 VH101 Personal Vortex electric space heaters, which can overheat in use, after receiving 19 reports of the heaters catching fire. In December 2017, an elderly man died in a fire involving a recalled heater. In 2014, Vornado recalled about 79,000 electric space heaters that can overheat, melt, catch fire and ignite nearby items, after 29 reports of units overheating and melting, including seven reports of fires.
Lifesmart
Lifesmart of Plano, Texas, recalled about 17,000 Lifepro portable space heaters in 2015. The screws attaching the back plate are too short, and the plate can detach when the heater is unplugged, posing an electrical shock hazard. No incidents or injuries were reported.
Dyson
In April 2014, Dyson recalled two models of bladeless electric heaters that sold for about $400 after 82 reports of short-circuiting, overheating, or burned or melted internal parts. About 338,000 were recalled in the U.S. and about 43,000 in Canada. It was one of at least a dozen space heater recalls over the previous five years. Dyson contacted every owner and repaired a component in the circuit board.
Sunbeam and Holmes
Sunbeam recalled its Holmes ceramic heaters after 132 reports of units that unexpectedly stopped working or overheated, including one report of smoke inhalation and ten reports of property damage involving burned flooring. The heaters were sold at Fred Meyer, Target, Walmart and other retailers nationwide from August 2013 to March 2014 for about $30.
Talk to a Space Heater Fire Lawyer Today
If a space heater fire injured you or killed a loved one, call The Killino Firm at 878-888-7878 or contact us online for a no cost, no obligation, confidential consultation. We will review how the fire happened, preserve the evidence and explain your options.
