Fort Bend County Fire Marshal's Office investigating house fire potentially caused by space heater

KATY, Texas (KTRK) -- Fire officials said a family narrowly escaped a house fire in the Fort Bend-Katy area early Saturday morning.

At 4:38 a.m., the Community Volunteer Fire Department received a call of a fire in the residential neighborhood of Grand Lakes at Peek Road and Emily Park Lane.
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Firefighters forced their way inside and were met with thick black smoke. According to officials, the fire was primarily contained in the living room, while the rest of the home had heavy water and smoke damage.



The residents told CVFD that the fire alarm woke them up, and they realized there was a fire outside a bedroom on the first floor.

They were able to escape through a window without any injuries.



The Fort Bend County Fire Marshal's Office conducted a thorough investigation and determined that the fire was in the vicinity of a space heater. That remains under investigation.

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The CVFD said they commend the family for quickly jumping into action and knowing their escape routes.

While the fire is under investigation, officials want to give tips pertaining to properly storing space heaters:

Space heaters should always be plugged directly into an outlet on the wall and never plugged into an extension cord. They are high power appliances and could cause the cords to melt.

Space heaters should be kept three feet away from all flammable materials such as curtains or blankets

Space heaters should be placed on a hard-level surface in a safe spot where children and pets will not knock them over.