Stay Warm this Winter, and Stay Safe Doing It.

The Superior Fire Department shares some tips on staying safe using indoor heating devices.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- Those who are looking to use space heaters, fire wood, radiators or any temperature controlling devices inside their homes should be aware of the dangers that come with using them.

The superior fire department said that this is their busiest time of year for heat–device related fires. You can help prevent these fires through continuous maintenance of your devices throughout the season, making sure you don’t have too many plugs used in one outlet and keeping an eye on heated surfaces at all times while they are running.

“Maintenance is a big thing on any heating source. Making sure that your appliances are running the way they’re supposed to run. That’s the pro–active response. The reactive response is having a working smoke detector in every level of your house and just as importantly, that working CO detector,” battalion fire chief Scott Gordon said.

It is also important to routinely check smoke detectors and CO detectors to make sure they are working properly. Carbon monoxide moves through a location faster than a fire would and often causes more harm.

Chief Gordon says if preventing fires doesn’t work out, the best thing to do in a reactive situation is get out of the location immediately, call 9–1–1 and do not go back inside a burning building under any circumstances.