With temperatures now routinely dipping below freezing and the need to heat homes, Perry Fire Chief Chris Hinds reminds people to properly maintain their heating systems.

For those with wood burning stoves or fireplaces, Hinds says the most important thing is to make sure the chimney is cleaned regularly to prevent blockages of creosote or anything else. “It’s always a smart play to have your chimney cleaned at least once a year. Nice to have it done every spring and fall. And you think, ‘Well if I have it done in the spring and no fire during the summer, why would I want it done again in the fall?’ Well, many times birds and other things like that can go down in there and build nests and roost in the chimney, and then that creates an obstruction where you could have carbon monoxide, the smoke from the chimney, that back up into your home and creates a health and fire hazard in itself.”

Another heating system people should be mindful of is gas furnaces. Hinds says it’s a good idea to change furnace filters regularly, possibly even once a month during the winter. It’s also important to keep them clean, because all it takes is build-up in the wrong place and you could be faced with a fire. Additionally, Hinds recommends being careful when utilizing electric space heaters or other forms of auxiliary heating methods. In particular, he says to make sure they’re nowhere near Christmas trees or other potentially flammable things you may have around your house over the holidays.

To learn more about winter fire safety, listen to last Monday’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.