How to Set Up a Space Heater Without Starting a Fire

The first cold night came early, and the space heater is back out of the closet. The wrong assumption is that a heater that worked last winter is safe this one. CPSC counts about 1,200 fires a year from portable electric heaters, and the causes are ordinary: an extension cord, a bed too close, a cracked cord, a recalled model that nobody looked up. The check takes ten minutes, and the order below is the order that catches the most.

Look up the model on the recall list

Turn the heater over and read the rating label on the base or back. Write down the brand and the model or type number. Open the CPSC electric heater recall list and compare. As of September 2026 the newest entry is the Vornado SRTH small room tower heater, recalled on June 4, 2026 after eight fires: about 255,000 units sold from August 2013 through May 2026, black or white, about 12.5 inches tall, with TYPE SRTH on the silver label on the bottom. If your heater is on the list, stop using it and follow the notice; Vornado pays a full refund after you send photos and proof that the unit is destroyed. Our guide to claiming a refund on a recalled product covers the general process.

Inspect the cord, plug, and body before the first use

CPSC says never to run a heater you suspect is damaged. Bend the cord along its length and look for cracks, cuts, or exposed wire. Check that the plug blades are straight and the housing is not melted or discolored. Look for a safety certification mark from a testing laboratory on the label. A heater with no mark, a frayed cord, or a bent plug goes in the trash, not back in service.

Place it three feet from anything that burns

Set the heater on a stable, level floor where it will not be knocked over. Measure 3 feet, about 0.9 meters, from the front, sides, and rear to the nearest bed, sofa, curtain, paper, or pile of clothes, and keep that gap. USFA gives the same 3-foot rule for every heat source in the house. Keep the heater away from water, and never touch it with wet hands.

Plug it straight into a wall outlet

Never power a heater through an extension cord or a power strip. Plug it into a wall outlet and confirm the plug fits tightly; a loose outlet is one you do not use for a heater. Route the cord across open floor, never under a rug or carpet, where it can be crushed and overheat unseen.

Feel the plug and outlet during the first hour

After the heater has run a while, touch the plug, the cord, the outlet, and the faceplate. If the plug, outlet, or faceplate is hot, stop using the heater and have an electrician check the outlet. If the cord is hot, unplug the heater and have it repaired or replace it.

Turn it off when you leave the room or go to sleep

Both CPSC and USFA say the same thing: a heater runs only while someone awake is in the room. Switch it off and unplug it when you leave or go to bed. If the room needs heat overnight, that is a job for the furnace, not the heater.

If the heater trips the breaker. A portable heater is a high-wattage appliance, and a circuit already carrying other loads may trip. Move it to an outlet on a different circuit rather than reset the breaker and try again; see resetting a tripped circuit breaker if you need to restore power first.

If it is a fuel-burning heater. Kerosene and propane heaters are a different appliance with different rules. USFA's page above covers ventilation and carbon monoxide risk; do not apply electric heater guidance to them.

Sources. CPSC Safety Alert, Reducing Fire Hazards for Portable Electric Heaters (Pub. 098), CPSC electric heater recalls, CPSC recall 26-532, Vornado SRTH small room tower heaters, US Fire Administration, Heating Fire Safety.