Before You Turn On the Heat: Space Heaters, Fireplaces, and Home Insurance in Oklahoma City

The first cold night always sneaks up on Oklahoma. One week the air conditioner is still running. The next week somebody is digging the space heater out of the hall closet and trying to remember when the chimney was last cleaned.

That first cold snap is a good time to think about fire. Your heating equipment sat unused all summer, and now it's going to run every night for months. This post covers what your home insurance does and doesn't pay for when heat turns into a fire.

For everything else that comes with the cold months, from fall storm season to frozen pipes, start with our Fall and Winter Home Insurance Guide.

Check My Coverage Before Winter

Why Heating Season Is Fire Season

The National Fire Protection Association says supplemental heating equipment is the leading cause of home fires in December, January, and February. Year-round, heating is second only to cooking. Space heaters are behind a big share of the worst of those fires.
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We see it here every winter. Last winter, five people escaped a house fire in northwest Oklahoma City that investigators believed started with a space heater. Everybody got out, and that's the part that matters most. The next question that family faced is the one every family faces after a fire. What does insurance actually cover?

What Home Insurance Covers When a Space Heater Starts a Fire

Fire is a covered peril on a standard homeowners policy. If a space heater tips over and starts a fire, your dwelling coverage helps pay to repair the house. Your personal property coverage helps replace what burned. If the house isn't livable, loss-of-use coverage helps pay for a place to stay while it gets fixed. Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready made the same point to News 9 after that northwest OKC fire.
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Smoke is usually part of the claim too. A fire that stays in one room can still leave soot in the closets, the ductwork, and every piece of furniture in the house. That damage generally falls under the same fire coverage.

The surprise for most people comes later. A claim caused by an accident inside your home can affect what you pay at renewal. That's no reason to skip a legitimate claim. It is a good reason to keep the space heater well away from the couch.

The Question Most People Can't Answer

If a fire took everything in your living room tonight, would your policy pay to replace it new, or pay what it was worth used?
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That's the difference between replacement cost and actual cash value on your personal property. Some policies cover belongings at actual cash value unless you've added replacement cost coverage. With actual cash value, a five-year-old couch gets paid like a five-year-old couch. Check your declarations page before the first cold night, not after.

Space Heater Habits That Keep You Out of the Claims Process

Most space heater fires come down to a few habits. Keep the heater at least three feet from curtains, bedding, and furniture. Plug it straight into the wall, not into an extension cord or power strip. Turn it off when you leave the room or go to bed. If it's old enough that it doesn't shut itself off when it tips over, replace it. A new one costs less than your deductible.
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Cords matter more than people think. An overloaded or damaged cord is one of the easiest ways for a fire to start anywhere in the house, and it's the same thing we see behind a lot of garage fire claims.

Fireplaces and Chimneys: Where Maintenance Matters

A chimney fire is usually treated like any other fire. It's sudden and accidental, and most policies cover the damage it causes. What your policy won't pay for is upkeep. Cracked mortar, a worn-out flue liner, or a chimney that leaks every time it rains all fall under wear and tear, and those repairs are on you. If an adjuster finds years of creosote buildup after a fire, the conversation can get a lot harder.
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That's why fall is the right time to call a chimney sweep. Have the chimney inspected and cleaned before the first fire of the season, and keep the receipt. If you ever have a claim, proof that you kept up with maintenance helps.

One more thing. A wood-burning fireplace or wood stove can affect your rate, and some carriers want to know how a stove was installed. If you've added a wood stove since your policy started, tell us. That's a much easier conversation now than after a claim.

Furnaces, Generators, and the First Cold Night

When the furnace kicks on for the first time, a burning dust smell for a few minutes is normal. A smell that sticks around is not. Change the filter, move boxes and paint cans away from the unit, and have it checked by a licensed technician if it's been a while. Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors the same day.
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Ice storms add their own risk. When the power goes out, people reach for generators, gas ovens, and anything else that makes heat. Never run a generator in the garage or inside the house, and never heat the house with a stove or oven. If you're without power for days, here's how winter power outages are handled by home insurance.

Check Your Policy Before It Gets Cold

Fire is one peril almost every homeowners policy covers. The details still matter. Make sure your dwelling limit reflects what it would cost to rebuild today, not what you paid for the house. Find out whether your belongings are covered at replacement cost or actual cash value.

​Check your loss-of-use limit, since a serious fire can keep a family out of the house for months. If you want the rest of your fall review in one place, our list of 10 insurance things to check this fall covers the big ones.

Talk to a Local Agent

Oklahoma Insurance Professionals is an independent agency in south Oklahoma City. We work with multiple carriers, so we can shop your home insurance instead of handing you whatever one company offers.

​If you're not sure how your policy handles a fire, or you want a second set of eyes on it before winter, schedule a free consultation or call us at (405) 838-1818.

Check My Coverage Before Winter

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Scott Godwin
​Founder

Oklahoma Insurance Professionals LLC serves Oklahoma City and the surrounding Oklahoma communities by protecting the people we work with just like we protect our own family members. Home insurance, auto insurance, business insurance, and more. 

Whether in Moore, Edmond, Norman, Oklahoma City or surrounding areas, as an Oklahoma independent insurance agency We can help you find the coverage you need.