As temperatures drop and home heating systems kick into gear, remember to get your home heating systems inspected and cleaned as soon as possible. That's a key message from the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), who are teaming up to reduce the risk of home heating fires this December, January and February, when half of all U.S. home heating fires occur.

According to NFPA, home heating equipment is the second leading cause of U.S. homes fires; failure to clean heating equipment is the most common reason for these fires.

Through their joint winter fire safety campaign, "Put a Freeze on Winter Fires," NFPA and USFA urge everyone to get their home heating systems inspected and cleaned annually by a trained professional, preferably before the start of the season. This will ensure that your home heating system is working properly, and can significantly reduce your risk to associated fires. If you have a chimney, make sure it's also inspected and cleaned, if necessary, by a trained professional. Creosote - a sticky, oily, combustible substance created when wood does not burn completely - rises into the chimney as a liquid and deposits on the chimney walls, causing more than one-fifth (22%) of all home heating fires.

Winter fires are preventable! For more heating safety advice from NFPA and USFA's "Put a Freeze on Winter" campaign, visit
http://www.nfpa.org/winter
or
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-249f.pdf