TULSA, Okla. — As temperatures outside are dropping, people are sometimes trying to raise the temperature inside their homes with alternative methods like space heaters and chimneys.

Andy Little with the Tulsa Fire Department said people should keep anything flammable at least three feet away from space heaters, especially old Christmas trees.

“People do have those Christmas trees in their homes and there’s a good chance they haven’t been watering them. Holidays are over, so they forget. They can become very flammable. In years past, we’ve seen fatality fires in Tulsa because that Christmas tree is often near the front door where your main means of escape is,” said Little.

He said to never plug space heaters into an extension cord and to always unplug the heater when you leave or go to sleep and keep them updated.

“Those older space heaters don’t have safety devices built into them where, if they’re knocked over, they turn off and newer ones do,” said Little. “If you have a pet or a child knock them over and you have an older space heater there’s a potential that it will continue to heat and catch your floor on fire, catch your furniture on fire and put your family in a dangerous situation.”

Another thing Little said to avoid is using your stove to heat your home.

“Don’t ever use your stove. It’s never a good idea to use your stove to heat your home, but we see it all the time,” said Little. “If that’s not operating properly, it can cause carbon monoxide poisoning in your home. It can cause levels high enough that could potentially kill you.”

Little said to make sure to check your smoke alarms. Since the start of the new year, he said Tulsa Fire has responded to about three carbon monoxide calls a day.

Odorless, colorless, and sometimes deadly carbon monoxide can be a byproduct of burning fuel to heat your home.

“It’s very important that...people have smoke alarms in their home, preferably combination alarms so that if you have a carbon monoxide alert in the home, it will let you know. We call that the silent killer. You can’t see it, you can’t smell it, and it can kill you,” Little said.