The Fairfield Fire Department Friday offered lifesaving safety tips and advice for keeping homes warm during the expected frigid snowstorm.

The department had advice on how to keep pipes from freezing, proper methods for heating a home and how to dispose of fireplace coals.

When it comes to preventing pipes from freezing, Deputy Chief Kyran Dunn recommends insulating them, or opening up doors and crawl spaces and areas of the home where the water meter is.

He says the simple action will ensure that the pipes are kept at a warm temperature. Experts say if pipes do freeze, never use a blow torch to heat them.

Dunn says if a fireplace is being used, place coals inside of a metal can away from your home.

He also says avoid placing space heaters close near combustibles like aerosol cans or up against couches.

Dunn says using alternative heat sources can be dangerous.

 

"People often maybe try to get heat from their stove by running the burner, and that's not good," Dunn says.

Lastly, Dunn says the most important piece of advice he can offer is to make sure working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are installed of inside the home.

"Because you're having your fuel-burning appliances going full tilt, so you want to make sure that you have that extra protection."