NORFOLK, Va. — Sunday marked the start of Virginia's fall fire season, meaning wildfires are more likely to start over the next month and a half.
However, wildfires aren't the only flames burning during the time period; a fire could spark in your home, too.
Captain Jim Ingledue with Virginia Beach Fire Department said he sees an uptick in house fires during this season.
“Every firefighter knows in the winter, that it gets a little bit busier,” he said.
Since heating systems have sat dormant for months, Ingledue urged getting them serviced by a professional as the temperatures dip.
“People could be surprised by a cold night, and they just turn their heat on and they haven’t had it serviced regularly,” Ingledue explained.
When using space heaters to warm up, Ingledue said to avoid plugging them into extension cords.
“Electric space heaters should be plugged in directly to the wall," he said. "They’re not designed to be used with extension cords.”
He also emphasized the importance of properly disposing of fireplace ashes. Ingledue said the ashes can smolder for hours and cause a fire of their own.
“It’s been several hours, and they’re surprised that they’re still hot and they start the fire, but it does happen," he said.
Ingledue said the safest thing to do is transfer the ashes to a metal container and wet them down.
When it comes to campfires, once again, make sure you completely extinguish the coals. It's also important to be mindful of the wind, as that’s an easy way to start a wildfire.
In case of an emergency, remember to have a working smoke detector and a fire extinguisher in your home. If a fire does break out, have a fire escape plan in place.