>>> THIS MORNING A ROSSEN REPORTS UPDATE.
REPORTS UPDATE. A WINTER FIRE WARNING FOR ALL OF
US.
US.
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE USE PORTABLE SPACE HEATERS TO KEEP WARM THIS
WINTER BUT OFFICIALS ARE SENDING
OUT NEW WARNINGS ABOUT HOW
DANGEROUS THEY CAN BE IF NOT USED CORRECTLY.CAN BE IF NOT
USED CORRECTLY. >> TODAY JEFF ROSSEN HAS MORE,
INCLUDING A DRAMATIC
DEMONSTRATION.
>> HEY, GUYS, GOOD MORNING. SPACE HEATERS ARE POPULAR FOR
GOOD REASON.
GOOD REASON.
THEYRE SMALL, THEYRE COST EFFICIENT, AND THEY CAN KEEP
YOUR FAMILY WARM.
BUT IT TURNS OUT SO MANY OF US
ARE USING THEM WRONG. AND IN AN INSTANT, TRAGEDY CAN
STRIKE.
STRIKE.
THIS MORNING BEFORE YOU TURN
YOURS ON, WE NEED TO SHOW YOU SOME VIDEO HOW FAST THINGS CAN
GO WRONG AND WHAT YOU CAN DO
RIGHT NOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF.
IT HAPPENS IN AN INSTANT.
>> OH, MY GOD.
I THINK THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE.
>> DEADLY FLAMES RAGING
INFERNOS, ALL THESE HOMES ON FIRE.NOS, ALL THESE HOMES ON
FIRE.
>> I GOT OUT, THE FLAMES WERE
ABOVE THE TREES.
>> ALREADY THIS SEASON, SEVERAL TRAGIC INCIDENTS.EASON, SEVERAL
TRAGIC INCIDENTS. IN TEXAS DURING THANKSGIVING
WEEKEND, FOUR FAMILY MEMBERS
KILLED IN THIS FIRE AND JUST
DAYS AGO, THIS LONE PUPPY
SURVIVED A FIRE IN OKLAHOMA
CITY.
CITY.
BUT FIVE OTHER PUPPIES DID NOT SURVIVE. OTHER PUPPIES DID NOT
SURVIVE.
IN ALL THESE CASES, SPACE HEATERS ARE TO BLAME.PACE
HEATERS ARE TO BLAME. IN FACT ACCORDING TO THE
NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION
ASSOCIATION, SPACE HEATERS ARE A
LEADING CAUSE OF HOUSE FIRES.
SO HOW DO WE STAY WARM AND SAFE?
JAMIE NOVAK, A RETIRED FIRE
INVESTIGATOR, SHOWS US LIFE-SAVING TIPS.WS US
LIFE-SAVING TIPS. >> ONE, PEOPLE NEED TO REALIZE
THAT THESE ARE SMALL BUT THEY
DRAW A LOT OF ELECTRICITY.
SO ONE, YOU PLUG IT DIRECTLY INTO THE WALL.UG IT DIRECTLY
INTO THE WALL.
>> AND THATS A BIG TIP.
PLUG THE HEATER DIRECTLY INTO THE WALL.HEATER DIRECTLY INTO
THE WALL. HE SAYS SOME PEOPLE USE CHEAP
EXTENSION CORDS TO MOVE THE
HEATER CLOSER, BUT MANY
EXTENSION CORDS CANT HANDLE
THAT AMOUNT OF ELECTRICITY.
JUST WATCH WHEN HE DOES IT.
>> THERE YOU HAVE FROM A LOOSE
CONNECTION, THE START OF FIRE.
>> WHATS THE NEXT TIP?
>> THE NEXT TIP IS WE KEEP THIS
THREE FEET FROM ANYTHING
COMBUSTIBLE THAT WILL BURN.
THE COUCH, THE END TABLE,
ANYTHING THAT WILL BURN.
BEST TO DO IT IN THE CENTER OF
THE ROOM.
THE ROOM.
>> YOU WERE TELLING ME AS RIDICULOUS AS IT SOUNDS, PEOPLE
SOMETIMES LET BLANKETS FALL ON
TOP OF THE HEATER.
>> THATS RIGHT.
AND THIS HEATER IS HOT ENOUGH IT
CAN CATCH IT ON FIRE.
THEN THE ROOM IS ON FIRE AND THE HOUSE IS ON THE GROUND.E AND THE
HOUSE IS ON THE GROUND. >> TO SHOW US, JAMIE SETS UP A
REAL LIFE DEMONSTRATION INSIDE
THIS REAL HOUSE, WHICH IS
ALREADY BEING PREPARED FOR
DEMOLITION.
DEMOLITION.
WE HAVE A TEAM OF FIREFIGHTERS STANDING BY.AM OF FIREFIGHTERS
STANDING BY. >> ALL RIGHT.
HEATER ON, BLANKET ON, AND WELL
SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
>> REMEMBER, THIS HAPPENS IN
HOMES ALL THE TIME.
IN JUST SEVERAL MINUTES --
>> THERE WE GO, WE HAVE IGNITION.WE GO, WE HAVE
IGNITION.
>> AND YOU SEE HOW FAST THESE FIRES CAN SPREAD.W FAST THESE
FIRES CAN SPREAD. A PIECE OF THE BLANKET FELL OFF
AND NOW ITS BURNING THE RUG
TOO.
TOO.
FLAMES RACE UP THE BLANKET.
AND LOOK AT THAT, IT SPREAD TO
THE COUCH.
ITS ALREADY HARD TO BREATHE IN
HERE.
ITS KICKING OFF SERIOUS BLACK BOTH.ICKING OFF SERIOUS BLACK
BOTH.
NOW ITS GOT THE COUCH ON FIRE, YOU WONT BE ABLE TO STAY INRE,
YOU WONT BE ABLE TO STAY IN HERE ANOTHER TWO MINUTES.
>> SUDDENLY AN INFERNO IN OUR
LIVING ROOM.
>> JUST LIKE THAT IT FLASHED OVER.ST LIKE THAT IT FLASHED
OVER.
LETS GET OUT OF HERE. YOU CANT EVEN BREATHE ANYMORE.
EVERYONE OUT.
EVERYONE OUT. OH, THAT HAPPENED, JAMIE, SO
FAST.
FAST.
I MEAN YOU CANT BREATHE IN THERE. YOU CANT BREATHE IN
THERE.
>> PEOPLE DONT REALIZE HOW FAST THE FIRE TAKES OFF AND HOW NASTY
IT GETS.
IT GETS.
>> I WAS ABLE TO BREATHE, THEN I WASNT.AS ABLE TO BREATHE, THEN I
WASNT.
IT IS RAGING.
>> AND HERES THE SCARIEST PART OF ALL.HERES THE SCARIEST PART
OF ALL. THE FIRE IMMEDIATELY SPREADS,
JUMPING FROM ROOM TO ROOM.
>> THE FIRE IS RIGHT HERE, BUT
LET ME SHOW YOU HOW FAST IT
SPREAD.
SPREAD.
LOOK OVER HERE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE, ITS BEENR
SIDE OF THE HOUSE, ITS BEEN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES, WE
ALREADY HAVE BLACK SMOKE COMING
OUT HERE TOO.
THIS COULD BE YOUR HOME AND ITS
SUPER DANGEROUS.
SUPER DANGEROUS. >> FLAMES ENGULF THE HOUSE,
SHATTERING THESE GLASS DOORS AS
IT BURNS.
IT BURNS.
>> IF THIS DOESNT SHOW YOU TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS, I DONT
KNOW WHAT DOES.
>> YOURE DEAD IF YOURE IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW.F YOURE IN THIS
ROOM RIGHT NOW.
>> ALL FROM A SPACE HEATER. >> ALL FROM A SPACE HEATER AND
SOMEBODY IMPROPERLY USING IT.
>> NOW, THERE ARE SPACE HEATERS
WITH AN AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF
SWITCH IF IT GETS TOO HOT OR IS
ACCIDENTALLY KNOCKED OVER, BUT
EXPERTS SAY JUST DONT RISK IT.
REMEMBER THE THREE-FOOT RULE AND
DONT PLUG THEM INTO EXTENSION
CORDS.
CORDS.
ALSO PLAN AHEAD.
MAKE SURE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
HAVE A FIRE ESCAPE PLAN. I CANT STRESS THAT ENOUGH.
IF YOU DONT HAVE ONE, GO ON OUR
WEBSITE RIGHT NOW TODAY.COM.
WE HAVE A LINK TO TAKE YOU
THROUGH IT STEP BY STEP.
PACK TO YOU.
>> SOME POTENTIALLY LIFE-SAVING
TIPS THERE.
YOU DONT REALIZE HOW QUICKLY
THOSE FIRES SPREAD UNTIL YOU