Space Heater Sparked Lakeland House Fire

LAKELAND, FL — A Tuesday night fire that rendered a Lakeland home unlivable and sent one person to the hospital was sparked by a space heater, officials say.

According to the Lakeland Fire Department, crews were called to a home in the 400 block of Tucker Street around 10:45 p.m. April 18. When they arrived, they saw visible flames coming from a home that was already heavily involved, an email from the agency said.

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All three of the home’s occupants were evacuated, but one required hospitalization due to burns and smoke inhalation, the email said. The person’s status is not currently known, officials added.

Multiple units responded to the scene. Once the blaze was out, the department’s fire investigator “determined that the fire was caused due to a space heater left near combustible material,” the email said. “The home was heavily damaged by fire and smoke and is uninhabitable.”

Further information about the fire is not available, but officials say the blaze serves as a strong reminder for people to brush up on space heater safety. More information about heating safety can be found on the department’s website.

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Photo courtesy of the Lakeland Fire Department