With two major fires in the Perry area over the last couple weeks, the Perry Volunteer Fire Department would like to remind people to always keep fire safety in mind.

According to Fire Chief Chris Hinds, house fires tend to spike during the winter, as improperly maintained heating units can frequently lead to fire. Hinds suggests cleaning out chimneys at least twice a year to prevent creosote build-up and clear any potential obstructions. Another thing to check multiple times during the winter is a gas furnace. Hinds explains, “It’s good to be sure and change your filter regularly. It’s not unusual for somebody to want to do that on a monthly basis during the winter time. That ensures that the furnace can breathe freely and is getting plenty of fresh air through it to operate. And you want to have it cleaned out, because again on the cleanest of houses, you’re still going to get some spiders or something like that that gets in there. And all it takes is a little bit of a build-up like that in the wrong place, and you’re going to have problems. So it’s good to have your furnace serviced on a regular basis and keep things neat and clean.”

Hinds also cautions homeowners to be careful with auxiliary heating units, as those can easily catch things on fire. Finally, he reminds people it sometimes doesn’t matter how careful you are, fires can happen to anyone. With that in mind, he encourages you to make sure you and your family know your emergency procedures, just in case tragedy strikes.