The Rome Fire Department wants to remind everyone to keep an eye out for potential fire hazards in their homes this holiday season.

Fire Department Fire Safety Specialist Johnie Evans said there are a number of danger spots in homes that can cause fires this holiday season, from live Christmas trees to space heaters.

He first suggests as the days get colder to make sure not to use a fireplace unless it has first been cleaned out.

Evans explains that creosote buildup can cause chimneys to become dangerous and cause fires if left uncleaned for more than a year. In order to keep the creosote content in your chimney lower, Evans suggests using drier hard woods in a fireplace.

“The drier the wood and the harder the wood the better,” he said.

As far as heating systems go, Evans said those should also be checked on a yearly basis to ensure they are clean and working properly. He recommended that those using space heaters to heat their home be sure to keep them 36 inches from anything flammable.

“Don’t ever use ovens to heat the house,” Evans said. “Ovens are for cooking bread and not heating houses.”

During this time of year, Evans said holiday decorations can also become fire hazards. He said to make sure to keep live Christmas trees well-watered throughout the holiday season.

“You can squeeze the tree on the end of the needles to see if you’re keeping it watered well,” he said. “If the needles are springy, you’re fine and have done a good job of keeping the tree watered. If they start falling out, you usually don’t have any water in the tree.”

He also suggested not overloading trees with lights during the holiday season to prevent the tree from becoming overheated and catching fire.

For lighting, Evans also suggests keeping holiday lights on multiple circuits throughout the house to keep from overloading the electricity.

“If you string lights, especially on drop cords, you’re going to blow your circuit if you put more than 20 amps on (the circuit),” the fire safety specialist said.

He suggests keeping lights for Christmas trees and houses on power strips since they come with circuit breakers built in to keep from overloading circuits.

Overall, Evans said to use common sense during the holiday season to prevent fires.