The occupants of a rental property in Sister Bay learned a valuable lesson about space heaters after its operation led to a fire Saturday night. The Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Department responded to the home on Beach Road at 10:10 p.m. regarding the possibility of a structural fire. Firefighters discovered light to moderate smoke throughout the two-story cottage when they went inside the home before discovering a laundry basket full of clothes sitting on top of its propane space heater. It is believed that after the renters left for the evening, the inside of the house was cool enough that the space heater kicked on, eventually causing the fire. Hecht says it is a teaching moment for people about space heaters, whether they use them consistently or not.

Hecht says the damage was confined to the clothes and the space heater, along with some minor smoke damage and odors.