Take care as you heat your home this holiday season

With the drop in temperature that comes with winter weather, fire officials are reminding residents to have safety in mind as they heat their homes.

“With space heaters, make sure you’re keeping them three feet away from everything, preferably with a tip-over protection so that if they get knocked over by a child or a pet that they’ll shut off automatically, and make sure you’re plugging those space heaters right into the outlet,” said Radcliff Deputy Fire Marshal Tommy Crane. “Don’t plug them into extension cords or power strips.”

Make sure you have wood stoves, fireplaces, and furnaces checked regularly. Keep the intake on your furnace clean and change filters regularly.

You should also make sure you are using a fireplace or wood-burning stove properly.

“Make sure it’s seasoned, dry wood,” Crane said. “Don’t put green wet wood in there, and they will still build up creosote over time. Make sure you’re cleaning them. We recommend having a professional come in and look at it once a year. Just make sure there’s no cracks in the lining and stuff like that, and the pipes are in good shape.”

If you are gearing up to host your family’s holiday celebrations, it’s a good idea to make sure you and your visitors are prepared.

“Make sure they know about your home fire escape plan,” Crane said. “Where are we going if there’s a fire? How do we get out? Because obviously they don’t live with you all the time, so those are things to consider there.”

If you have not done so already, check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.