Fire concerns increase as colder weather approaches

With wind chills will be around 0 degrees for the next few days, that means many people will be trying to keep warm.

One way is setting space heaters where they commonly sleep.

It happens to be a big factor for house fires.

“Make sure you have three feet all the way around that space heater so nothing becomes ignited,” La Crosse Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Murphy said. “Also make sure you’re electrical system can handle what you’re plugging in.”

Murphy says they’re hoping for a quieter winter this year.

In a three-week period in January and February last winter, the department responded to more than 10 fires.

The conditions can have a real impact on firefighters.

“The fact that we use water for most of our work, it can be a problem on some of the colder days,” Murphy said. “We have ways to combat that, but hopefully it won’t be as much of an issue this year.”

If you haven’t done so already, since daylight savings time, you’re reminded to make sure you have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.