Things you can do to protect your home from fires

CROFTON, Md. — A house fire on Pawlet Drive in Crofton Sunday saw about $30,000 in damages to this home.

They found that it was caused by a fire in the fire place.

Captain Russ Davies, with the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, says that was the second chimney fire in the county in a week. Davies says making sure your fireplace and chimney are in good shape could mean the difference between life and death.

"You know you want to have your chimney cleaned and inspected every year, again to make sure there is not a creosote buildup, to make sure there is no cracks in the lining to allow the gases to get into the house and create a fire," Davies said.

It's not just a wood burning fire place that one needs to be concerned about. Space heaters come with an inherent danger as well.

"Two issues there, one is if it's within 3 feet of combustibles and it catches combustible products on fire whether it's your bed, your drapes, a couch and the other issue we see using extension cords with electric heaters and using a cord that is not rated the same as the heater and that can cause a problem," Davies said.

Now that we are in a new year, there are things you can do to make your house safer. One of them is taking care of that Christmas tree.

"If you bought that tree off of a Christmas tree lot, that tree was probably cut before Thanksgiving, so now is the time to get it out and away from the house."

Getting the tree away from the house is key. A dry Christmas tree is still dangerous in the garage or up next to the house. It may be tough spending money to clean your chimney or gas fire place, but it has its benefits.

"It could make it more efficient for you and you can have some cost savings from that."