The blaze, reportedly early Christmas morning, displaced 2 adults and a child.
SPRINGFIELD - An unattended space heater plugged into an inadequate extension cord was the cause of a fire that displaced a family of three in Indian Orchard early Christmas morning.
The fire broke out in the living room of the second floor unit at 71 Healey St. at about 1:30 a.m. The occupants, two adults and a child, were not home, Dennis Leger, aide to Commissioner Joseph Conant, said.
A family of four in the downstairs apartment escaped without injury. Their apartment sustained only minor water damage in the kitchen and they were able return later that morning.
The upstairs apartment sustained some $30,000 in smoke and fire damage and those occupants are being assisted by the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, Leger said.
Leger said either the space heater itself or the power cord overheated and caused the blaze. He said space heaters should not be left running unattended and that the fire department does not recommend using them with extension cords.
Those who do use extension cords with space heaters should ensure that it can safely handle the amount of amperage required to supply the heater, Leger said.
Also: “It’s just to warm a room up, it shouldn’t be used as your main heat,” Leger said.
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