KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), heating is the second leading cause of fires in the country. Knoxville Assistant Fire Chief Mark Wilbanks says damages to homes because of heating accounts for $1 billion in property damage.
So, as temperatures continue to drop in East Tennessee, the Knoxville Fire Department wants you to keep heating safety top of mind.
Wilbanks spoke to 10News and shared some tips you should follow at home to keep you and your family safe during the colder months:
1. Make sure your heating units are serviced annually.
"Now is a good time to have one of those companies come out and make sure that your system is in good shape," Wilbanks said. "Especially if you are using natural gas for heat, things like that."
2. If you have portable heating units, be mindful of where you are placing them.
"We never want to use extension cords with those," Wilbanks emphasized. "And, also, we want to make sure that they are at least three feet from anything that is combustible, so we want it away from the wall, away from things like paper and things like that to make sure that it does not catch on fire."
3. If you have a fireplace, make sure the chimney pipe is in good shape.
"If you are burning wood, you want to make sure that you are burning natural wood, not synthetic fibers and things like that because those are dangerous," Wilbanks added.
4. Do not leave candles unattended.
5. Check your smoke alarm every month.
You can also call 3-1-1 and an expert will come to you and either replace the battery or install a new alarm.