As temperatures drop across Illinois, the American Red Cross urges families to take several steps to heat their homes safely.

“Heating equipment is a leading cause of home fires in this country,” Kellie O’Connell, CEO of the American Red Cross of Illinois, said in a news release. “But there are steps people can take to avoid having this happen to them. Help keep your family safe by providing at least 3 feet of space around all heating equipment, testing your smoke alarms monthly and practicing your two-minute home fire escape plan.”

Space heaters are most often responsible for home-heating fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Follow these tips:

• If you must use a space heater, never leave it unattended. Place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface, such as a ceramic tile floor. Don’t place it on rugs and carpets or near bedding and drapes.

• Plug space heater power cords directly into outlets, never into an extension cord. Turn the space heater off every time you leave the room or go to sleep.

• Keep children, pets and anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.

• Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.

• Never leave a fire burning in the fireplace unattended. Make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home. Use a glass or metal fire screen to keep embers in the fireplace.

• Have furnaces, chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves inspected annually by a professional and cleaned if necessary.

Overall, home fires account for most of the more than 60,000 disasters the Red Cross responds to each year – and home fire responses are 30% higher during cold months than warmer times of the year, the Red Cross said.

Prevent home fires

To help protect your family year-round, test your smoke alarms monthly and practice your home fire escape plan until everyone can escape in less than two minutes – the amount of time you may have to get out of a burning home before it’s too late.

If you need help

If you cannot afford to purchase smoke alarms or are physically unable to install one, the Red Cross may be able to help. Contact your local Red Cross for help.

Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including an escape plan to practice with your family.

Download the free Red Cross First Aid app so you’ll know what to do if emergency help is delayed, and the free Emergency app for weather alerts, open Red Cross shelter locations and safety steps for different emergencies.

Find these and all of the Red Cross apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.