Here’s what you can do to prevent house fires this Fall:

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — October isn’t just spooky because of Halloween. According to the Rockford Fire Department, there are more fires at this time of the year.

Michael Schnaper, an arson investigator, marked National Fire Prevention Week by saying that although bonfires are a favorite Halloween activity, they can start serious fires.

“I can replace everything in your house except for you,” he said. “On nights like Halloween, (what) we are concerned about are these open burning issues in the city of Rockford. You cannot burn without a permit.”

Schnaper said many fires spread due to inattention.

“One of the biggest things that we run into, particularly with cooking fires, are people leaving, cooking unattended,” he said. “So, stuff boiling over on top of the stove, something being in the oven too long. In addition to cooking fires, we do run into things like careless use of smoking materials, candles, left burning, and basically any kind of unattended fire.”

Harlem-Roscoe Fire Division Chief Jay Alms said this is also a perfect time to fire-proof your home’s heating systems.

“Things are closed up and you’re starting things. Are they functioning right or not? You know, there’s certain things on furnaces that should be checked by a licensed HVAC (contractor). If those chimneys are blocked, we’ve dug out squirrel nests, and bird’s nests that will actually block the chimneys. So make sure you’re aware of those things,” he said.

Schnaper said all homes should have working smoke detectors.

“The biggest difference you can make in your house is having a properly installed smoke detector. We’ve recently received a grant and we are providing, free of charge, installed smoke detectors that people can just check once a month. That’s all you got to do,” he said.

Both the Rockford Fire Department and Roscoe Fire Departments will host open houses at their fire stations this week in an effort to educate the public on National Fire Prevention Week.

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