Fire officials give tips to avoid house fires

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – While the weather gets colder it is important that homeowners are staying safe while staying warm.

It’s cold outside. And that has people looking for ways to stay warm inside.

In that search for warmth, some people are forgetting about safety.

This January alone, there have already been 2 deaths related to fires caused by space heaters.

Louisville Fire Chief Robert Hutto says it is ok to use extra heating sources in the house but pay attention to the warnings that come with that extra warmth.

“You have your heaters in your home and we try to remind people space heaters to give them their space the word-space is not just for warming a small space the word-space is to give that space heater some space and we recommend 3 feet all the way around that heater,” said Hutto.

Columbus Fire and Rescue’s Educational Officer Michael Walker also warns against using appliances as alternatives to heaters.

“Never use your oven to heat your home. You don’t want to use it because of carbon monoxide and you don’t want that to happen because it’s just not a good practice of using your oven to do that,” said Walker.

Fire officials say that in 2016 fire departments across the country responded to over 76 thousand calls related to carbon monoxide. That’s more than 9 calls an hour.

It’s always a great idea to make sure you have extra safety devices in your home but it’s also important to make sure that extra safety works properly.

“Be safe just be sure those smoke alarms are in your home we recommend smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms outside of every sleeping area and on every floor of the home at least test them once a month change the batteries twice a year replace them every 10 years,” said Hutto.

Be sure that when you are staying warm you stay safe.

If you are ever worried and have questions fire officials say never hesitate to call them for help.