Whilethe Rogue Valley gears up for another cold night, fire officials say there are precautions that you should take to stay warm.
When temperatures fall, cuddling up under a nice blanket or even lighting up the fire place sounds ideal.
But while you maybe safe from the cold outside, it’s what’s keeping you warm inside that maybe the problem.
“What we see a lot during the cold weather time, is those portable heaters that get used quite a bit to use in addition to their heater in their home or some homes don’t have heaters so they’ll use them, ” says Jackson County Fire District 3 Captain Bryan Cohee.
Gold Hill resident Tara Nary says she recentlypurchased a space heater to keep her home warm.
“It heats my house for penny’s a day and it’s wonderful.I don’t have to use my central heat.I keep it at least a foot away from my wall and it’s up high so my dogs can’t get too close to it,” Nary says.
Chief Cohee says if you plan on using a space heater, you’ll want to make sure it’s equipped with what’s called a tip-over protection feature.
Choee says, “It’s as simple as it sounds, if it tips over, then it will shut down on its own.”
Fireplaces can also pose a threat to your home.
“Keep your chimney clean when it becomes fire usage season. It’s not just up to you to keep the stuff clean, you’ve got kids you also need to watch.”
Officials recommend making sure everything is turned off and fire places completely put out before you head to bed.
Fire crews say following these simple tips can keep your home from burning to the ground.
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