Now that fall is officially here it is time to start considering the health and safety of using furnaces or other types of indoor heating.

The Kent Fire Department offers the following basic safety tips to help reduce the chance of a fire in your home being caused by a furnace, fireplace, woodstove, baseboard heater, or other home heating device.

• Have your furnace professionally inspected annually to ensure that it is working properly. Debris, birds, or rodents can block furnace exhausts and ducting can become clogged over time.

• Ensure that fireplaces and woodstoves are also inspected regularly. Flues/chimneys can become clogged with creosote and need to be cleaned periodically.

• Keep all combustibles at least three feet away from baseboard heaters, radiant heater, and any kind of free-standing wood or pellet stove. This includes bedding materials, curtains, and clothing that may have moved closer during the summer months.

• Always have a screen or glass doors in front of your fireplace to reduce the chances of any stray sparks or logs from escaping.

• Never use charcoal in a fireplace or wood stove. Charcoal emits high levels of carbon monoxide. Also, use dry, well-seasoned wood when burning. Wet or green wood will not burn easily and will produce more smoke.

• Never use flammable liquids to start a fire in your fireplace.

• Always have working smoke alarms in your home. Change the batteries and vacuum them annually. Smoke alarms have a life-expectancy of approximately 10 years. If yours are older than that, or you are not sure – replace them.

• Keep a fire extinguisher handy. A 2A-10BC extinguisher is perfect for a typical home. Read the instructions on its use ahead of time.

• If any of your household appliances (including your hot water tank and clothes dryer) is fueled by natural gas or propane, consider installing a carbon monoxide alarm. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas which is a by-product of burning. When it gets into the air in your home due to a malfunctioning appliance, it can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, and in extreme cases, unconsciousness and death.