A propane heater used by two people sleeping in a tent is believed to have caused an Albany fire that damaged a home Tuesday morning.
The Albany Fire Department responded to a home on Water Avenue NE with reports of fire at 9:27 a.m. to find fire burning on the exterior and interior of a single-story home. The resident of the house was not home at the time of the fire.
After investigating the cause and origin, crews determined a propane heater in a tent on the neighboring property caused the tent, tarps and exterior of the neighbor’s home to ignite.
The occupants of the tent had minor injuries and refused transport to a medical facility.
Fire officials say space heaters and heating stoves account for nearly half of heating equipment fires and seven out of ten deaths caused by heating equipment.
As a reminder, heaters need at least 3 feet of space, away from anything that can burn. Equipment that uses propane should never be used indoors or in confined spaces due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.