We’ve had our first taste of cooler temperatures. With the onset of a colder climate, there is also more risk of a fire.

The use of space heaters grows during colder temperatures, and according to the National Fire Protection Association, electrical home fires are a leading cause of home fires in the U.S. Roughly half of all home electrical fires involved electrical distribution or lighting equipment, while nearly another half involved other known types of equipment such as washer or dryer fans, and portable or stationary space heaters.

There are approximately 45,000 home electrical fires each year, according to the NFPA, and the peak hours for home electrical fire deaths occur from 12 a.m.-8 a.m. Three in five home electrical fires involve lighting equipment or home electrical wiring. The NFPA further cites that heating equipment is involved in one in every seven reported home fires and one in every five home fire deaths.

Yet even as the danger of a home electrical fire rises during the winter, there are ways to avoid that risk. 

The NFPA recommends the following:

• Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from any heat source, such as fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators or space heaters.

• Keep portable generators outside, away from windows, and as far away as possible from the home.

• Plug only one heat-producing appliance, such as a space heater, into an electrical outlet at a time.

• Never use an extension cord with a heat-producing appliance. The NFPA also recommends using extension cords only temporarily and instead having an electrician install additional wall outlets where needed.

Following these tips and others may help keep you warm and safe instead of becoming another tragic statistic.