The Auburn Fire Department, in conjunction with the National Fire Protection Association, is urging residents to take the proper safety precautions this winter to ensure they don't become the victims of a preventable house fire.

Firefighters said that flammable items should be kept at least three feet away from all heating equipment, and that all electric heaters should be turned off when residents leave the room or go to bed.

Power cords should also only be plugged into outlets with a sufficient capacity, and should never be plugged into an extension cord.

In addition, chimneys should be inspected once a year and cleaned if necessary, while ashes should be allowed to cool before they are disposed of in a metal container, firefighters said.

Families that use a fireplace should invest into a screen to place around it.

Firefighters also recommend having a smoke alarm installed in every bedroom, and they should be interconnected to all go off at the same time if one alarm is triggered.

The fire department also recommends a carbon monoxide detector be installed in a central location outside bedrooms and that all alarms be tested once a month.