Stay warm, but don't overheat

Tyler, Texas — With the cooler temperatures many people crank up their fire places or space heaters to keep warm. The Smith County Fire Marshal, Jim Seaton, says having a smoke detector could save your life this Christmas if you aren't paying attention to flammable items in your home.

He says they always see an increase in residential fires during the Winter, when people start finding ways to keep warm. You should always keep all combustibles at least three feet away from your space heater, even oil based space heaters need a buffer zone.

The top two most common causes for fires during the holidays are cooking fires and chimneys. Seaton says, "Before you use your fireplace every year we recommend you have your chimneys cleaned professionally and inspected and make sure you don't have any cracks or rusted out places in your pipes." Seaton also says to make sure you keep your fires down because over-sized flames are are the biggest cause of chimney fires.