5 ways to keep warm -- but safe -- in your home

With temperatures dipping below zero this week, people are resorting to all sorts of creative — and not always wise — measures to keep warm.

That could include running shoddy space heaters, keeping the oven door open, and using fireplaces when chimneys haven't been cleaned.

The Daily Herald talked to suburban fire chiefs and fire prevention experts for advice on how to stay warm this winter without burning down the house.

Chimneys

The leading factor contributing to home heating fires is homeowners failing to clean solid-fueled heating equipment, primarily chimneys, according to the National Fire Protection Association, a nonprofit that tracks the causes of fires and develops building codes to minimize risk.

Experts recommend yearly maintenance of chimneys and vents by a professional, making sure they're cleared of creosote, grease and other debris before fireplaces are put into service for the winter.

Just last week, firefighters in Algonquin battled a house fire found in the walls of the home caused by the fireplace.

“If there's wear, failure or overheating, that can start the structure on fire wherever it passes through,” said Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Chief Peter Van Dorpe. “(Homeowners) should do maintenance on your fireplace like any other appliance.”

Mundelein Fire Chief Ben Yoder recalled a particularly bad winter house fire caused by creosote inside a chimney.

“It basically turned their chimney into a blowtorch,” Yoder said.

In addition to cleaning a chimney, homeowners should make sure they keep the chimney damper open until the embers have stopped burning, Yoder said. Homeowners shouldn't burn plastic, garbage or Christmas trees in their fireplaces, he added.

Authorities say they've also had to respond to fires triggered by improperly disposed hot embers and ashes from fireplaces.

Naperville Fire Department Division Chief Andrew Dina said there have been cases where homeowners have put such materials in plastic garbage cans that have then caught fire. He suggests waiting at least 24 hours before disposing of fireplace residue and to always place it in metal cans that are stored outside with tightfitting lids.

Space heaters

Space heaters, too, are common causes of house fires during cold weather.

A house fire Sunday morning in Elk Grove Village was blamed on a space heater in an attached garage, though investigators said Monday they don't yet know whether the heater was near combustibles or if there were electrical problems with the heater itself.

The devices, whether portable or stationary, accounted for one-third of home heating fires and four out of five home heating fire deaths, according to a 2013 report by the National Fire Protection Association.

“If you're using Grandma's or Dad's or Mom's space heater that you inherited, throw it out and buy a new one,” said Van Dorpe, Algonquin's chief. “They don't have inherent safety.”

Best practices call for space heaters to be placed at least 3 feet from anything that can catch fire. They also should be plugged directly into wall outlets.

“With space heaters, more often I would find they were plugged into extension cords and they would overheat,” said Greg Hay, a former firefighter who is now fire service outreach coordinator for the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal. “In the fire service, we called those brown lightweight extension cords 'fire starters.'”

One way to tell if a space heater is working properly is to plug it in and wait for it to get to 45 degrees. If you tip the space heater and it turns off, it's operating correctly.

Wheaton Fire Chief Bill Schultz recommended checking space heaters to make sure they are UL-approved. UL is an international safety certification company known for its rigorous standards of testing and quality safety features, such as automatic shut-offs of space heaters.

Experts also caution against using kerosene and other flammable substances with space heaters indoors, since it can create carbon monoxide and cause explosions if vapors come into contact with a hot surface or flame.

Ovens

Fire prevention experts strongly discourage residents from using their oven or stove to heat living spaces. Not only is there a threat of fire, but there's also the risk of exposure to carbon monoxide.

“Oftentimes when (people) are doing that, you have kids involved,” Hay said. “There's a risk of burns and who knows what else. The stove is not a very good way of heating.”

Frozen pipes

Some winter season fires are caused when blow torches or similar devices are used to thaw frozen water pipes.

“Heating with a torch is a dangerous practice,” said Elk Grove Village Fire Chief Richard Mikel. “It can be several hours before a fire begins to show itself.”

The best advice is to keep cabinet doors open to allow heat to reach the pipes, he said.

And people shouldn't turn thermostats off when they go on vacation. That will reduce the likelihood of pipes freezing in the first place.

Garages

Residents also should be especially careful when heating up their cars this winter. Tim Leidig, West Chicago's assistant fire chief, said he has seen many instances of cars being warmed up in garages without proper ventilation, leading to carbon monoxide buildup.

• Daily Herald staff writers Bob Susnjara, Russell Lissau, Lauren Rohr and Kjersten Piper contributed to this report.