Early Saturday morning firefighters responded to a fire in an apartment in Queen Anne. The residents got out safely and firefighters put the fire out quickly, but the fire still caused $65,000 in damage to the apartment. Fire Investigators determined that the fire was caused by a baseboard heater that came into contact with combustible materials. Fires caused by furniture, bedding, and other materials placed too close to baseboard heaters and portable heaters are the most common types of heating-related residential fires.

Here are a few tips to keep your home heating safe this winter:

• Give your heaters space – Do not put anything next to a heater.
• Never use an extension cord with a portable heater.
• Make sure your portable heater is tested by an independent testing laboratory and has an automatic shut off feature if it tips over.
• Turn portable heaters off before leaving the room or before going to bed.
• Clean or replace heating furnace filters regularly.
• Never permit electrical cords to drape across heaters.
• Inspect all heating equipment yearly and always hire an experienced electrician to do any necessary repair work on your baseboard heaters.

The "Do's and Don'ts" of baseboard heaters

Fore more on home fire safety, visit http://www.seattle.gov/fire/pubEd/homesafety/homeFireSafety.htm