DFD Encouraging Electrical Safety During National Burn Awareness Week

DULUTH, Minn.– It’s National Burn Awareness Week and Duluth firefighters are giving an important message to those trying to warm up.

This year’s theme for the awareness week is focused on electrical burns and safety. Experts say to only use one appliance per outlet to avoid them from overheating. As the temperatures stay below zero, they say space heaters are a big concern. They add that you should turn heaters off, unplug it, and wait for it to cool before leaving your home.

“It is really one of the more dangerous ones because with electricity, it’s a lot more unstable and unpredictable. And so it happens in the blink of an eye and so you just need to be really careful with that kind of stuff,” said Duluth firefighter Ryan Dahnke.

Fire officials also say extension cords shouldn’t go underneath rugs or carpets. And to make sure you are only using outdoor cords outside because they are water resistant.