Sin ce we know the winter months provide more opportunities for home fires, it is even more important for your family to make sure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, and inside and outside sleeping areas.

If you don’t have a family fire escape plan, take a few minutes to make one and then practice it.

During the winter months, we find ourselves thinking about giving and being with family. Give the gift of Fire Safety and take steps to be Fire Safe with your family and loved ones.

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According to the National Fire Protection Association, winter is the peak season for U.S. home fires; cooking and heating are the leading causes.

Half of all home-heating fires occur in the months of December, January and February. Heating equipment is involved in one of every six reported home fires and one in every five home fire deaths.

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Keep these Home Fire Safety Tips handy for you and your family:

Keep anything that can burn at least three feet from any heat source like fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators, or space heaters.

Keep portable generators outside, away from windows, and as far away as possible from your house.

Install and test carbon monoxide alarms at least once a month.

Have qualified professional clean and inspect your chimney and vents every year.

Store cooled ashes in a tightly covered metal container, and keep it outside at least ten feet from your home and any nearby buildings.

Plug only one heat-producing appliance (such as a space heater) into an electrical outlet at a time.

For more information on how to prevent winter fires, visit http://www.nfpa.org.

“Chief’s Corner” is a regular feature in the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza from North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District Chief Mike Brown, offering information, tips and education material on fire safety, emergency preparedness and other pertinent topics.