By Peter Lore, associate vice president, claims,Nationwide Insurance

As cold weather continues to affect the country, Nationwide Insurance is educatingits members and the public about how to stay safe when usingalternative heating sources, such as space heaters, to keep theirhomes warm. Nationwide recently conducted a “live bedroomburn” at its Brand New Belongings Burn House, outside Columbus, toshowcase the devastation a space heater can cause in a matter ofminutes.

A few key facts about space heater fires:

• According to the National FireProtection Assn. (NFPA), home space heater fires are involvedin 19,300 home fires annually
• Space heaters account for one-third of home heating fires andfour out of five of home heating fire deaths
• Space heater fires are costly. Over the past five years (2008to 2012), Nationwide paid more than $48 million in claims relatedto space heaters, with the average claim topping more than$40,000.

The following images show what can happen when space heaters areused haphazardly, and include five tips for space heatersafety.

This is the master bedroom at Nationwide Insurance's Brand NewBelongings Burn House before the alternative heating firedemonstration. In a matter of moments, the entire room was engulfedin flames and later deemed a complete loss due to a space heaterfire.

Tip No. 1: Follow the 3-foot rule. Ensurethat the space heater is at least 3 feet from anything that canburn, such as bedding, furniture and drapes. As seen here, beddingcan catch fire quickly when the 3-feet rule is not observed.

Tip No. 2: Keep it on the level. Always place aspace heater on a hard, level and nonflammable surface, not on rugsor carpets. Here, the flames have taken over quickly. Notice thatthe heater is placed on the rug and hardwood floor. Heaters placedon uneven surfaces are more likely to tip and can lead to majorhome damage.

Tip No. 3: One size doesn't fitall. Ensure your heater is the right size for yourhome to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. In this photo, smokeconsumes the bedroom and will eventually leak into to other partsof the house, causing even more damage. Make sure to check smokedetectors regularly to ensure they are working properly. In theevent of a fire, the detector can help to save lives by signalingdanger to family members in other rooms.

Tip No. 4: Have a plan. Nationwide workedwith the Orange County Township fire department on thisdemonstration. Here, firefighters safely extinguish the fire. A tipfrom the fire department: Work with your family to prepare anescape plan in the event of an emergency so that your family issafe until firefighters arrive are on site.

Tip No. 5: Don't overextend yourself. Plug anelectric-powered space heater into an outlet with enough capacityand avoid using an extension cord. Here, post-burn the smokecontinues to cause damage as it lingers in the room. It's importantthat consumers contact their insurance agents as quickly aspossible to begin the claims process.