A family's home suffered significant damage this morning after a fire ripped through an upstairs bedroom fireplace and into the roof of the 48 year-old structure. Due to firefighter's quick, aggressive action, the house remained largely intact, though the family was unfortunately displaced due to extensive damage.Just after 6 a.m. on Dec. 31, 2015, the LAFD was summoned to the 16000 block of Tribune Street in Granada Hills for a reported Structure Fire. Firefighters arrived on scene to find a large, two-story home with fire in one room. A total of 41 firefighters worked hard to chase the flames hidden in walls and save the house, announcing a knockdown just 25 minutes after arriving on scene. The recent cold spell in Los Angeles has many using fireplaces, space heaters and other ways to ward off the chill..We all want to keep our family warm, but please be advised that heating equipment is annually responsible for about 53,600 reported U.S. home structure fires, 400 deaths, 1,520 injuries and $893 million in direct property damage across the nation.

 With a few simple safety tips and precautions from your LAFD and the National Fire Protection Association, you can prevent most heating fires from happening: 

• The leading factor contributing to home heating fires was failure to clean, principally creosote from solid-fueled heating equipment, primarily chimneys;
• Placing things that can burn too close to heating equipment or fireplaces, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattress, or bedding, was the leading factor contributing to ignition in fatal home heating fires and accounted for more than half of home heating fire deaths;
• Space heaters, whether portable or stationary, accounted for one-third of home heating fires and four out of five of home heating fire deaths.

 Fortunately, the homeowner's grandson in the Tribune Street fire was awoken by the smell of smoke, and the sounds of functional smoke alarms sounding, allowing all inside to safely evacuate. This serves as a good reminder to test and ensure you have functional smoke alarms to provide you and your family the early warning to get out and stay out.