State fire officials urging residents to take extra precautions when heating their homes.

As another stretch of extreme cold settles across Ohio soon, state fire officials are urging residents to take extra precautions when heating their homes particularly when using space heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves. The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal reports last winter alone, 108 fires statewide were attributed to space heaters. Nationally, the National Fire Protection Association identifies heating equipment as the second-leading cause of home fires during the winter months, as well as the second-leading cause of fire-related deaths. Nearly half of all U.S. home heating equipment fires, about 46%, occur between December and February, according to NFPA data.