As the temperatures continue to drop, we depend on multiple types of heating sources to stay warm inside our homes. Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray is providing Marylanders life and home-saving heating safety tips. "Various heat sources continue to play a major role in home fires in Maryland. I'm asking everyone to please follow these basic guidelines so we can work together to reduce the number of residential fires to prevent injuries and deaths in our homes."

• Ensure chimneys are cleaned annually or more frequently if used as the primary heating source.
• Use properly sized fireplace screens or enclosures. Never use a flammable liquid to start a fire in a fireplace or wood stove.
• When disposing of cooled ashes, do not use paper, cardboard, or plastic containers to remove them; instead, use a metal container with a lid. Ashes will insulate hot embers long after the fire is considered out.
• Ensure fuel-burning stoves are installed according to local fire codes and manufacturer instructions.
• Have your furnace inspected and serviced annually.
• Check portable electric heaters for frayed/damaged wires, ensure they are clean, and place them on a flat surface. Use only appliances listed by an approved UL testing laboratory and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• Do not use extension cords with portable space heaters. The extension cord can overheat and cause a fire.
• If you use kerosene-fired heaters, use only "K-1" kerosene fuel. Never fill the unit inside; remove it to the exterior after it has cooled before refueling. Note: Portable kerosene heaters are banned in Baltimore City.
• Open a window enough to provide proper ventilation.
• Keep combustibles (furniture, curtains, clothing, paper goods, etc.) at least three feet from all heat sources. Combustibles placed too close together can ignite quite easily.
• Fuel-burning appliances can produce the deadly, tasteless, and odorless gas carbon monoxide. Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms inside your home to provide an early warning of carbon monoxide levels.
• Always turn off portable heating equipment when leaving the room for extended periods. Portable heaters should never be operated unattended.
• Range tops and ovens should never be used as a heat source. These devices are designed for food preparation only.

Along with these heating tips, ensure your smoke alarms and CO detectors are in good working order. These devices should be replaced every 10 years to ensure they operate as early as they are designed. "Routine maintenance and safe operation of heating equipment, combined with properly installed and operating smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, are a life-saving combination for all Marylanders," stated Mowbray.