Chicago Fire officials provide safety tips on using space heaters in the winter

CHICAGO - The death toll in Sunday's massive apartment fire in the Bronx has been revised downward.

Officials are now saying that 17 people were killed, including eight children. Dozens remain hospitalized.

Investigators say the fire was started by a space heater, and Chicago Fire officials are offering some sound advice on when and how to use those devices safely.

The door to an apartment in the Bronx building was left open, allowing smoke and flames to race through the building.

New York City code requires apartment doors to slam shut automatically, and investigators say they're looking into whether a maintenance issue prevented the door from closing.

Last month, Chicago firefighters said a two-year-old boy died in the South Side Pullman neighborhood in a fire started by a space heater.

"Primarily space heaters are very safe if they're used properly," said Chicago Fire Department Chief Walter Schroeder.

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Shroeder says space heaters should always be plugged directly into the wall outlet, not an extension cord or electrical strip.

The cord should never be covered by a rug or any potential heat source, and the space heater should be kept level and at least three feet from any other object.

"And most importantly, you need to shut it off when you leave the room. Or if you go to sleep at night, you can't leave it consistently running, it has to be off," said Schroeder.

New York's governor says she plans to include a victim's compensation fund in the state budget to help fire victims find temporary shelter and to cover the burial costs of those who died.