LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Lexington Fire Department has responded to multiple house fires due to alternative heating issues, and with the cooler temperatures, the fire department has a few safety tips for keeping your house warm this winter.

Derrick Releford with the Lexington Fire Department says the winter months are some of their busiest times of the year. “The coldest months are January and February. Half of all our alternative heating fires occur in January and February,” Releford said.

Releford says there are three tips to keep in mind when looking to heat your home safely.

“One, you want to make sure it’s plugged into a wall, no extension cords. Obviously, we want to switch the break if something happens. Two, we want to keep it at least three feet away from, you know, obviously, kids play areas, furniture, stuff like that,” Releford said.

And use alternative devices only for what they are intended for. 

“As far as a stovetop, they’re intended for one use, their intended use. In the manufacturer’s guidelines, nowhere does it say to use it to heat your home. So we want to make sure that we do not use it for any other purposes,” Releford said.

Releford encourages you to unplug the heating devices when unattended or sleeping, and says having a working smoke detector is a priority. 

“The best thing people can do is to make sure that they have a working smoke detector because obviously, that’s the best offense for this. It’s one way you can save your life in case something does happen,” Releford said.

The Lexington Fire Department says accidents happen, but with these tips, they hope to prevent as many house fires as possible. 

The Lexington Fire Department says residents in Fayette County in need of a smoke detector can call the department to make an appointment to have a free one installed.