With the warmer weather here, it’s a good time to prepare for the winter season with some maintenance to prevent home fires.

Jefferson Fire Chief Jack Williams suggests getting your furnace or boiler checked annually, along with this tip to keep your furnace running smoothly in the colder months.

“Ensure that you are changing the filter at least once a month, just to make sure they are not full of dust. A lot of the calls that we are called to are due to the furnace filter catching on fire because it’s too dirty.”

Williams advises getting fireplaces and chimneys prepared for the winter season as well.

“Just make sure that you’ve had somebody come and sweep the chimney so that all of the creosote that’s built up has been removed or at least minimized. And then once again, just have a fire extinguisher close, so if you do have a chimney fire, you can shoot the extinguisher into the fireplace, and usually the draft of the smoke will take the extinguisher powder up with it.”

Williams says by doing these preventative measures, it will ensure better fire safety within your residence this winter season.