Officials with the Columbia-Richland Fire Department announced today that a house fire that took the life of one woman early Wednesday morning was caused by space heater.
/ Adam Pinsker
COLUMBIA (WACH) - The identity of the woman who died in an early morning house fire Wednesday has been released.
Richland County Coroner Gary Watts positively identified the victim as 67-year-old Cathleen Dowdeswell using x-rays from her medical records.
Watts determined that Dowdeswell died at the scene from smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning from the fire.
Officials with the Columbia-Richland Fire Marshal Office’s completed their investigation of the fire on the 2100 block of Morninglo Lane today, and announced that the fire was caused by a space heater.
The investigation found that as a result of a space heater being located too close to an upholstered chair, the radiant heat from the heater ignited the combustible fibers of the chair and nearby contents of the main living room where the victim was found.
Damages to the home were estimated at $26,000.
Chief Jenkins cautions citizens that some heat sources, like space heaters, represent a leading cause of U.S. home fires and fire fatalities.
Fire safety precautions for using space heaters:
- All heaters need space. Keep things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
- Use heating equipment that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
- Install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instruction. Have a qualified professional install the equipment.
- Make sure all fuel-burning equipment is vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. CO poisoning can cause illness and even death.
- Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms inside your home to provide early warning of carbon monoxide.
- Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected annually by a qualified professional.
- Turn space heaters off when you leave a room or go to sleep.
- Have your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleaned annually by a certified chimney specialist.
- Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations, and flammable materials.
Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces. Leave glass doors open while burning a fire.
- Keep air inlets on wood stoves open, and never restrict air supply to fireplaces. Otherwise you may cause creosote buildup that could lead to a chimney fire.
For more fire prevention safety tips visit the Columbia-Richland Fire Department Website.
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