Gulfport Warns Residents of Electrical Fires During Winter

Electrical fires are a concern for homeowners, especially in the winter months when people are using lighting and heating appliances more regularly.

Monday morning, the Gulfport Fire Department put out a probable electrical fire downtown. The fire was coming from electrical outlets inside the house and was isolated to one room. No one was injured. Fire officials say it’s important to do your part and be cautious to prevent electrical fires in your home.

Lonnie Necaise, Battalion Chief of the Gulfport Fire Department, says, “Main thing we want to watch is our space heaters. If we’re using space heaters, be cautious with them. Make sure you don’t have anything close that could fall on it and get tipped over into it because it’s easy to knock into it and not realize it and walk away. Make sure you don’t have anything plugged into an outlet that’s covered, push your bed up against it. Make sure you have a little bit of space to have some air to breathe and not smother it down and cause any extra heat sources.”

Other tips include ensuring smoke alarms work properly and never using the oven to heat your home.