Emergency personnel work at the scene of a fatal fire at an apartment building in the Bronx on Jan. 9 in New York City. AP photo

A safety features bill recommended by fire protection officials on all space heaters sold in New York state has been introduced in the state Senate.

State Sen. Cordell Cleare, D-New York City, has introduced legislation to require space heaters to have a thermostat, an automatic shut-off and be certified by an approved body in order to be sold in New York stores. S.7863 has been referred to the Senate Consumer Protection Committee, which includes state Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay.

“The use of space heaters, in residential and other settings, during cold months is widespread,” Cleare wrote in her legislative justification. “Sadly, space heaters do have a propensity of causing fires, thus we must ensure that those sold in New York state conform to the highest possible standards of safety and fire prevention.”

A malfunctioning space heater sparked a fire that filled a high-rise Bronx apartment building with thick smoke recently, killing 19 people including nine children

It is estimated by the U.S. Energy Department that small space heaters cause an estimated 25,000 residential fires every year. According to the National Fire Protection Association, two in five deaths in space heater fires involve portable electric space heaters. NFPA officials recommend keeping the heater at least 3 feet from anything that can burn, including people; choosing a heater with a thermostat and overheat protection and to make sure heaters have an automatic shu-off to turn the heater off if it tips over.

Heaters should be placed on a solid, flat surface and be kept out of the way of foot traffic. Heaters should be plugged directly into a wall outlet, not an extension cord, and be turned off and unplugged when leaving a room or going to bed.