MOULTRIE, Ga. — A Moultrie man’s home was destroyed by an early Tuesday morning blaze whose cause was unknown.

When Moultrie Fire Department personnel arrived at the 717 Fourth Ave. S.W. residence of Willie Palmore, the roof was already partially collapsed and the house was engulfed in flames, according to agency reports. Firefighters were dispatched to the wood-frame single-story structure at about 1:58 a.m.

“There was no one at home at the time,” Assistant Fire Chief Lamar Plymel said. “He was over visiting relatives and he came up while we were there.”

Palmore told officials that he may have inadvertently left an electric space heater on when he left.

He was not sure whether or not that was the case and firefighters were unable to determine what sparked the blaze, Plymel said.

The house was fully destroyed, he said.

Whether it was the cause in this case or not, heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths, according to the National Fire Potection Association’s website, www.nfpa.org.

Half of home heating equipment fires are reported during the months of December, January, and February, the NFPA said. Some simple steps can prevent most heating-related fires from happening.

• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.

• Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.

• Never use your oven to heat your home.

• Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.

• Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.

• Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.

• Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.

• Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.