Emergency crews see uptick in fire calls in Hudson Valley amidst colder temperatures
Officials say some issues they see this time of year when it comes to fires stems from space heaters and people using ovens to heat their homes.
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There has been a rash of structure fires in Westchester over the last week. Fire crews say as the temperatures drop, the calls for this kind of emergency typically go up.
In Yonkers, fire crews have battled three fires in just the last several days.
The Red Cross is helping the dozens impacted by those fires.
Officials with the Red Cross and fire crews say this is the time of year when they get more calls for fires.
"When we see a cold weather snap, we usually see an increase in fires," says Chris DeSantis, the deputy chief of fire prevention with the Yonkers Fire Department.
Officials say some issues they see this time of year when it comes to fires stems from space heaters and people using ovens to heat their homes.
Also, they see people trying to fix frozen pipes in a dangerous way.
"We've seen people use torches and other such things to try and dethaw, it's the worst thing you can do," DeSantis tells News 12.
Officials urge everyone to be careful when using space heaters, plug them directly into the wall and keep them a safe distance from other things.
