Plenty of homes heat a single room with a portable electric heater. The US Fire Administration (USFA) says keep anything that can burn — bedding, clothing, curtains — at least 3 feet away, turn heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room, and plug them directly into a wall outlet, never into an extension cord or power strip. Use a heater with an automatic shut-off if it tips over that has been tested by a recognised laboratory. This sets out the USFA “Heater fire safety” card.
1. Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet (about 1 m) away — bedding, clothes, curtains.
2. Turn it off when you go to bed or leave the room.
3. Plug it straight into the wall — never an extension cord or power strip, and nothing else on the same circuit.
Choosing one — USFA
| Type | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Testing | Tested by a recognised testing laboratory | In Korea, look for the KC mark (our pointer — we didn’t read Korean standards) |
| Shut-off | Automatic shut-off if it tips over | — |
The card opens both of these with “Make sure”; we read them as things to check when choosing a heater, before first use (our reading).
Using it — USFA
| Type | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | Keep things that can burn at least 3 feet away | About 0.9 m (our conversion) |
| Placement | On a solid, flat surface | — |
| Switching off | Turn off when you go to bed or leave the room | — |
| Socket | Plug directly into the outlet | — |
| Don’t | Use an extension cord or power strip | — |
| Don’t | Plug anything else into the same circuit | It can cause overheating |
“The same circuit” means every outlet on the same breaker, not just the same socket; your fuse board shows which outlets share one (our gloss).
See also
- Extinguishers: home and car extinguishers.
- Electric blankets: electric blanket safety.
- Fuel-burning heaters: carbon monoxide poisoning.
If you use a kerosene heater — USFA
Under the heading “Follow these heating safety tips to help keep your home fire safe this winter”, the same card gives two separate lines for kerosene heaters.
| Item | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | Always use the proper fuel in your heater | The manual names the right fuel (our pointer) |
| Refuelling | Refuel outside once it has cooled | So not while lit, and not indoors (our reading) |
Fuel-burning heaters also carry a carbon monoxide risk; symptoms and what to do are in carbon monoxide poisoning.
Checklist
- ☐ Lab-tested, with tip-over shut-off
- ☐ Bedding, clothes and curtains at least 3 feet (about 1 m) away
- ☐ On a solid, flat surface
- ☐ Off at bedtime and when leaving the room
- ☐ Straight into the wall; no extension cords or power strips
- ☐ Kerosene heaters: proper fuel only; refuel outside once cooled
Questions that remain
What about a heavy-duty power strip?
The USFA card says never use an extension cord or power strip, with no exception for rating.
Can I leave it on low overnight?
The card says turn heaters off when you go to bed, with no exception for a low setting.
Are fan heaters and radiant heaters treated differently?
The card groups portable heaters together as “space heaters” and doesn’t split them by type, so the same rules apply.
Sources
- US Fire Administration (USFA) — Heater fire safety card — source (no date shown on the card; checked 19 October 2026). Lab testing, tip-over shut-off, 3 feet, flat surface, off at bedtime or when leaving, wall outlet, no extension cords or power strips, same circuit, and the 2 kerosene lines.
- Not read. Korean heater safety standards and KC details.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the Korean everyday gloss.
Where else to check
- The product manual — power rating and cautions.
Written on 19 October 2026. The content is from the source; the glosses are ours.
