Kerosene Heaters Indoors in a Winter Outage: Is It Safe?

A kerosene heater is only safe indoors if it is legal where you live, approved for indoor use, burned on 1-K kerosene, run with a door open to the rest of the house and a working carbon monoxide alarm nearby, and turned off before bed. New York City and Massachusetts ban them indoors, so ask your fire department first.

Are kerosene heaters legal to use indoors where you live?

Kerosene heater rules depend on your state and city, and some places ban them outright. The FDNY says the use of kerosene or propane space heaters is strictly prohibited and illegal in New York City. Massachusetts law bars anyone from using, selling or offering for sale an unvented liquid-fired space heater, as the Rehoboth fire department and WWLP have both reported.

Other states allow approved heaters with conditions. New York’s Real Property Law section 239-B makes it unlawful to use any portable kerosene heater except an approved one. Illinois’s Space Heating Safety Act allows approved heaters in homes, subject to its multifamily rules and stricter local codes.

The McAlester, Oklahoma, fire department puts the advice simply: check with your local fire department before you buy, to find out whether a kerosene heater is legal in your community. Renters should also check the lease for rules on fuel-burning heaters.

Why kerosene heaters raise carbon monoxide risk

A portable kerosene heater has no chimney or vent, so everything the flame makes stays in the house. CPSC says that even a heater burning properly produces low levels of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, which may be harmful, especially to people with chronic breathing or circulation problems. A dirty wick or the wrong fuel makes it worse.

CPSC’s ventilation rules are specific. Run the heater in a room with a door open to the rest of the house. If you must close the door, or the home is new and tight or has been sealed up for winter, open an outside window about an inch to let fresh air dilute the fumes. Set the wick where the manual says and keep it clean.

Our carbon monoxide safety guide covers symptoms and alarm placement in detail.

Which fuel a kerosene heater needs

A kerosene heater needs water-clear 1-K grade kerosene and nothing else unless its manual says so. CPSC says other grades can release more pollutants into your home, and because different grades can look the same, buy only from a dealer who can certify the fuel is 1-K.

Gasoline is the deadliest mistake. CPSC warns that even small amounts of gasoline or other volatile fuels mixed with kerosene can substantially raise the risk of a fire or explosion. Store kerosene in its own container meant for kerosene, usually blue, never in a red gasoline can or any can that once held gasoline, and use the kerosene pump when you buy it.

How to run a kerosene heater safely in an outage

A kerosene heater that is legal where you live still needs strict habits. These steps come from CPSC, USFA, NFPA and local fire department guidance:

1. Read the manual first. Follow its ventilation, wick and fuel instructions before the storm, not by flashlight.
2. Check the safety features. USFA says a heater should have an automatic shut-off, so it turns off if it tips over.
3. Keep 3 feet clear. USFA says to keep bedding, clothing and curtains at least 3 feet from any heater.
4. Refuel outdoors. CPSC says to turn the heater off and let it cool first, and never to fill above the “full” mark, which leaves room for the fuel to expand.
5. Turn it off when you go to bed or leave the room, as USFA and NFPA advise.
6. Store fuel away from heat in a clearly marked kerosene container, away from other fuel containers.

If a heater flares up, CPSC says not to move or carry it. Use the manual shut-off if it has one, and if that does not put the fire out, leave the house and call the fire department.

Safer ways to stay warm without power

A kerosene heater is not the only way through an outage. If you have a generator, an electric space heater with tip-over and overheat protection is easier to run safely; see how to use a space heater in a power outage, which also covers indoor-rated propane heaters. Keep your plumbing in mind too, since a cold house can freeze pipes: our guide on how to prevent frozen pipes lists what to do before and during an outage.

If the house gets too cold to heat safely, go to a warming center or a friend’s home with power. More guides are in the heating section.