Two in Prince George, one started by a Christmas tree, another when someone tried to refill a kerosene heater, and one on the 2500 block of Dupuy Rd in Petersburg, cause yet unknown. Minor injuries reported. A few safety suggestions:

The fire dept. suggests the following:
* if you run a kerosene heater, crack a window due to the carbon monoxide the heater produces, and refill it only when it is cool and do so outside.
* keep live Christmas trees as moist as possible, and don’t keep dried up trees in your house/garage, as they are highly flammable.
* turn off Christmas tree lights when you leave your house or when you go to sleep — and no candles on or near a Christmas tree.

I was also told the following sensible rule of thumb by the gentleman that serviced my heating element this fall:
* put new batteries in your fire and carbon monoxide alarms when you change the clocks each spring/fall.

To the staff of the fire dept: can you please forward a short/sweet flyer to info AT pburgpn.net on your free fire alarm & install program, and on any other safety suggestions you have as the heating season cranks up?