Heat equipment like space heaters or fireplaces caused 2,938 home fires in four years in Tennessee homes, killing 49 people in that same time.
According to the State Fire Marshall's Office, as the temperatures drop, there's an increased risk for home fires as people attempt to warm their homes.
Heating is the leading cause of home fire deaths nationally and second in Tennessee. Firefighters have tips for people living in the area to be safe as the weather changes.
"People are putting space heaters out just to keep the ambient temperature warm, and also to cut down on heating costs," said Rutherford County Firefighter Austin Garner. "A lot of the times the space heater will be too close to an object and that radiant heat will kinda heat up the area and start to combust objects."
Garner said many space heaters have safety features which will turn the devices off if they are tipped over, but people should also keep space heaters about three feet away from other objects in the room. Heaters should also be on a flat, sturdy surface.
"One of the biggest things is having a screen in front of your fireplace because as you're burning that wood on the fireplace, the embers and sparks won't get out on your carpet or into the room or you want to make sure your flume shoot is is open," said Garner. "You'd be surprised how often sometimes we go to a residence and the flume wasn't open."
Christmas trees can also be a problem. According to Garner, live trees with older Christmas lights can catch fire if the bulbs burst or some wires are frayed. He said LED lights stay cooler and fake trees are less likely to catch fire. Watering real trees can also help keep them from getting dry.
