Winter fires on the rise

Winter is here and in full swing. Every year, the cold weather forces residents to use their heaters or find other waystostaywarm.Extended heater use typically brings house fires along with them.

This past weekend was no different for two houses in Marshall County. On Sunday morning, around 9 a.m., a house on Woody Avenue in Oakland caught fire. No residents were hurt, unfortunately, a family dog perished in the fire.

Madill Fire Chief Mike Idleman said the fire “got a little bit of the house, melted the front door off and busted out the living room window.”

Idleman noted that the cause of the fire was a heat lamponthatwasontheporch to keep the dog warm.

There was another house fire during the early morning of January 15. At approximately 3:30 p.m., a house on Cliff Road. The fire was contained to one room, but the rest of the house suffered smokedamage.Idlemansaid that the cause of this fire was from a wood-burning stove that was in the house.

Idleman said there are ways that residents can prevent the possibility of a house fire during the winter.

“Be cautious on how you heat your house,” Idleman said. “If you have to put heaters or stoves on, make sure there us nothing around them that will catch on fire.”

“If heat lamps, are used” Idleman continued, “make sure your pets can’t reach them to knock them down.”

Idleman said the fire department handles fires every winterbecauseofheatlamps.