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Fire chief offers safety tips for winter season

By Scott Harvey

Commerce – As the winter season nears, area residents are reminded to be cautious when heating your homes.

The overuse and/or placement of a space heater can act as a hazard, as can the use of a gas stove or oven, which you should avoid entirely when attempting to heat your home.

Commerce Fire Chief Brian McNevin says another potential issue that perhaps isn't as well known is a faulty fire place flue.

"These things wear out, they don't last forever," McNevin says." They get cracks in them and if you have a fire going it'll go out through the cracks and set your studs on fire."

Residents that use gas heaters are also encouraged to check them to make sure all of your lines aren't leaking.

"There's supposed to be a real pretty blue flame with the very tip of it yellow. If there's anything different from that it's either getting too much fuel or it's not getting enough air."

McNevin says if you do notice an abnormality in your gas heater it may be due to improper combustion, which creates carbon monoxide. He strongly recommends residents that use gas invest in a carbon monoxide detector that plugs into the wall and has a battery backup.