9 tips to heat your home safely

Temperatures are forecast to dip into the 30s in Central Florida this week, causing many people to turn on their heat for the first time in months.

Here are nine tips to heat your home safely from the National Fire Protection Association:

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• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.

• Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.

READ: Grab a jacket: Colder weather moving into Central Florida this week

• Never use your oven to heat your home.

• Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.

READ: Tips for keeping your pets safe in cold weather

• Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.

• Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.

READ: 9 tips to help your outdoor plants survive cold Florida weather

• Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel-burning space heaters.

• Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room.

READ: Flagler and Lake to open cold weather shelters as storm system impacts Central Florida

• Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.

• Test smoke alarms at least once a month.

Video: Grab a jacket: Colder weather moving into Central Florida this week (Kassandra Crimi, WFTV.com)

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