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As cold weather moves into the Brazos Valley, make heating safety a top priority

With dry conditions throughout the Brazos Valley, the College Station Fire Department is sharing tips on how to keep you and your family warm.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Cold temperatures are being predicted to flow through the Brazos Valley on Thursday and the College Station Fire Department said some people don’t know how to heat their homes properly whenever the temperatures drop.

Captain Stuart Marrs, who is with the College Station Fire Department, said some people have bought space heaters in the past to make areas in the home warmer.

According to Capt. Marrs, there are several steps you should take when operating a space heater to ensure you don’t run the risk of causing a fire in your home. Marrs said you should always be in the room when the space heater is on, to not place it near flammable items such as couches, curtains, and other conductible items, and to purchase a new unit if you have an old model currently in use.

Marrs said they helped to assist people with their fair share of water and heating issues last February during the Texas snowstorm.

“In more than one occasion, we would respond to people who needed help heating their homes so they needed help building a fire in their fireplace and they had never done it before so they didn’t know how to do it safely so they reached out to us and so we were able to go in and show them the safe way to build a fire in a fireplace,” said Marrs.

Ace Hardware is one of several hardware stores in the Bryan/College Station area to supply space heaters for those looking. Zachary Johns, the Manager of the Steel Department, said last year the store faced several supply chain issues with space heaters and had fewer options available for customers.

Johns said he saw several people come through their store in the past week to buy a space heater and added there are some additions to look for on newer models.

“They’re so much more efficient than what they were ten years ago or however long it may be and they’re much more efficient but they’ve also got safety cutoffs for overheats,” said Johns.

Both Marrs and Johns agreed they just hope people make smart decisions when it comes to heating their homes after the temperatures have dropped.

 

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