Space heater safety tips ahead of winter weather across the South Plains

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - With winter weather expected across the South Plains early Wednesday, these conditions could lead more Texans to rely on space heaters.

The Texas Department of Insurance offers some safety tips ahead of the wintry mix:

Inspect a heater before use; make sure there are no cracked or broken plugs or loose connections
Plug in space heaters directly into a wall outlet
Keep space heater at least three feet from anything that could burn
Turn off heaters before leaving a room or going to bed; look for models that shut off automatically when tipped over

According to the National Fire Protection Association, nearly 80% of home heating fire deaths in the U.S. involve space heaters. At least half of those fires occur in January, February and December.