Important fire safety tips for cold weather include the following:

•Burn dry, well-seasoned wood in fireplaces and woodstoves to reduce the risk of excessive creosote build-up in chimneys.

•Allow ashes from your woodstove or fireplace to cool before emptying them into a metal container with a tight-fitting lid. Keep the container outside.

•Keep intake and exhaust vents for furnaces and heating appliances free of ice and snow accumulations to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide build-up from inefficient combustion. Install carbon monoxide (CO) alarms to alert you to the presence of this deadly gas.

•Keep space heaters at least one metre (3 feet) away from anything that can burn, including curtains, upholstery, and clothing.

•Replace worn or damaged electrical wires and connections on vehicles and extension cords and use the proper gauge extension cord for vehicle block heaters.

•Consider using approved timers for vehicle block heaters rather than leaving heaters on all night.

•Ensure that vehicles are not left running inside any garage or building.