Heating equipment is a leading cause of fires in U.S. homes. Local fire departments responded to an estimated average of 52,050 fires involving heating equipment each year in 2012-2016, accounting for 15% of all reported home fires during this time. These fires resulted in annual losses of 490 civilian deaths, 1,400 civilian injuries, and $1 billion in direct property damage.

Facts about home heating fires
*From 2013-2015, an average of 45,900 home heating fires occurred in the United States each year. These fires caused an annual average of approximately 205 deaths, 725 injuries and $506 million in property loss.
*Heating was the second leading cause of home fires after cooking.
*Keep anything that can burn at least 3ft from heating equip (furnace, fireplace, wood stove, portable heater).
*Give space heaters space! They account for 4 out of 5 home heating fire deaths
*Home heating fires peaked in the early evening hours between 5 and 9 p.m. with the highest peak between 6 and 8 p.m. This four-hour period accounted for 29 percent of all home heating fires.
*Home heating fires peaked in January (21 percent) and declined to the lowest point from June to August.
*Confined fires — fires confined to chimneys, flues or fuel burners — accounted for 75 percent of home heating fires.
*Twenty-nine percent of the non confined home heating fires — fires that spread past the object of origin — happened because the heat source (like a space heater or fire place) was too close to things that can burn.

Following a few simple safety tips & precautions you can prevent most heating fires from happening