The last thing that anyone who owns a home wants to go through is a house fire, but the fact is that these happen much more often that some people may think and it is generally due to carelessness around the house with heat and electricity. There are a number of appliances in your home that are hazardous and require special attention, but many people tend to disregard some of the warnings and care suggestions that come with these items and they neglect to read the instruction manuals.

One of the most dangerous, yet convenient items that you can have in your home is a space heater. They are wonderful if you cannot afford to have gas heat or the extra expense on the electric bill to heat the house during the winter, but when used incorrectly or in an inappropriate area of the home, they can cause fires extremely quickly. You should always use caution when using space heaters in your home and if possible, do not use them in homes with small children due to the risk of burns.

Space heaters should not be used on carpeted surfaces or on rugs unless the heated part is located at least 6 inches off the floor. This is common with heaters that also have a fan function. The further away the heat is from the floor, the safer the heater will be on a carpeted surface, should you have to use it there.

Space heaters should also not be used at night unless the cold is just unbearable. Use these only when there are people around to watch them closely and turn them off when you leave the house. Many fires occur both at night and when people are out of the house, so turning these off and unplugging them while you are gone is a good idea.

Fires are also caused by electric blankets more often than people might realize. Too many have woken up in the middle of the night with their beds on fire because they left the blanket on while they were asleep and leaving them on like this is a bad idea for that exact reason. You should also never walk on an electric blanket, since the heating cords inside them can be damaged fairly easily. Try to store these in areas where they have no chance of getting wet, as well, such as the top of the closet.