LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — We're already seeing chilly temperatures in the Bluegrass, and they will just get colder. Firefighters say the number of fires starts going up this time of year.
"Once people move their thermostats from air conditioning to heating, you are going to see an uptick in the number of fires that we see," Battalion Chief Dereck Roberts said.
Fires can cause a lot of damage and also be deadly.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, nearly 3 out of 5 homes fire deaths were on properties without smoke alarms.
A small piece of equipment that Battalion Chief Roberts says could save your life. He recommends checking smoke detectors regularly and changing the batteries when the time changes.
"Nowadays, with newer materials, materials with a lot of oil base products, plastics, synthetic fibers," said Battalion Chief Roberts. "You now have four minutes to get out of your homes."
People can take steps to help reduce the chance of a house fire.
"The biggest things you want to do are if you have an HVAC system at home, you want to make sure you are changing out your filters," said Battalion Chief Roberts. "If you are using a portable heater of some type, you want to make sure you are plugged into a wall."
If you or someone you know needs smoke alarms, the Lexington Fire Department has a program that can help.
"We have a program where we will come to your house and install fire alarms for free," said Battalion Chief Roberts.
Call 859-231-5662 or email at LFD-communityservices@lexingtonky.gov.
Contact your local fire department for information if you don't live in Lexington.
