Since Friday the Barton County Sheriff’s Office has responded to assist several fire departments in the county with structure fires. All were heating related.

The most serious of these fires occurred at about 11:30 p.m. February 10. Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to 789 E. Kansas Highway 4 near Claflin. Upon arrival firefighters and deputies discovered a house fully involved. Investigation at the scene indicated that the house was not occupied at the time of the fire but, the tenants had been using wood burning equipment to keep the structure warm. The residence was a total loss.

On February 8 at 11:40 a.m. Sheriff’s deputies responded to a structure fire at 672 Barton Ave. south of Hoisington and another on February 9, 2019 at 5:05 p.m. at 11 NE 30th Road just north of the City of Great Bend. Both of these fires caused substantial damage to the residences and were heating related.

The Barton County Sheriff’s Office shares these tips from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to safely heat your home…

– Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from all heat sources including fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators, space heaters or candles.
– Never use an oven to heat your home.
– Turn space heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
– Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected each year by a professional.