There's been so much loss and devastation in Texas later, so it breaks your heart to see something like this.

Temple Fire & Rescue responded to reports of a structure fire at 13134 FM 2305 near Cumberland Drive Saturday at 10:28 PM. Belton Ladder 2, the Temple Police Department, and Temple EMS were called to the scene as well. When the first fire crew arrived, they saw heavy smoke and flames coming from a "fifth wheel"-type travel trailer that was being used as a home.

Thankfully the person living inside wasn't home at the time, and no injuries were reported. Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames quickly, and the blaze was declared under control by 10:52 PM.

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Unfortunately, as you can see, the RV was a total loss. The Fire Marshal's office was investigating the cause of the fire Sunday.

As noted above, the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but with colder temperatures moving into Central Texas this weekend, I want to take the opportunity to remind people about the importance of being extremely careful with space heaters.

The Department of Energy recommends buying as new a model as you can to ensure that your heater has current safety features. Look for an Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) label on the device. You should try to get a thermostatically controlled heater, and buy a heater that's the appropriate size for the space, big or small, that you're trying to heat. Your heater should be on a level surface away from foot traffic, children, and pets.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, you should keep your heater at least 3 feet away from anything that may burn (living beings included), plug your heater directly into a wall socket and not an extension cord, and turn off and unplug the heater when you're not in the room. You should also check to see if your heater has an automatic shut-off feature in case it tips over.

Be safe, Central Texas.

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