Most of the fires during winter are caused by dangerous activity related to personal heating equipment. Bob Kempf is emergency management coordinator for both Adair and Guthrie Counties and has tips on staying safe this time of year, “Making sure that we keep anything flammable at least 3 feet away from any heating equipment; the furnace, wood stoves, the fireplace. A lot of people use portable heaters, and a big thing is keeping the perimeter around those clear of anything flammable.”
Kempf says it’s always a good idea to check your home’s smoke alarms once a month, so that they’re able to detect a fire if one does occur.