"Portable space heaters are intended to provide a short-term source of heat," said Fire Marshal Mike Julazadeh, "and should not be utilized in place of a permanent heating source. Space heaters need to be plugged directly into an electrical outlet, maintained at least 3' from combustibles, and turned off before leaving the area or going to bed. No working smoke alarms were discovered during the investigation into this incident – the results of this fire could have been much more catastrophic."