Southwest Florida heaters create alarming smell during rare cold snap

CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Southwest Florida is experiencing an unusually long stretch of cold weather, with even colder temperatures expected this weekend. The rare cold snap has many residents turning on their home heaters for the first time in months, or even years.

Fire officials say that first use can come with an alarming smell, but it is usually not cause for concern.

"When you turn on your heater for the first time, you are going to smell some things," Cape Coral Fire Operations Lt. Jason Spinner said.

Spinner explained the odor typically comes from dust that has collected on the heating coils and is burning off once the system is turned on.

"It's going to smell like your house is on fire. It's probably not," Spinner said. "It's going to be a musty, dusty stink — not like a nice campfire smell."

To help reduce the smell, fire officials recommend opening windows and doors before running the heater for the first time, allowing the dust to burn off and air out of the home.

"It's going to be cold, but then you run your heat, it burns all the dust off and blows it right out of the house," Spinner said.

However, officials stress that if residents see flames, smoke that does not clear, or truly believe something is burning, they should call the fire department right away.

With the cold snap continuing, many residents may also turn to space heaters, which come with their own risks.

"Space heaters by themselves won't normally burn, but they will burn things around them," Spinner said.

Fire officials urge residents to keep space heaters away from anything flammable, including blankets, furniture and curtains, and to never leave them unattended.

"We don't have a lot of winter every year, but when we do, it hits us pretty hard," Spinner said. "You want to stay warm, you want to stay safe, but make sure you keep an eye on your heating products."

Fox 4 meteorologists say the cold temperatures are expected to continue through the weekend, making heater safety especially important across Southwest Florida.

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