BUFFALO, N.Y. — In a week’s time, five fires in the city of Buffalo have displaced more than 30 people and caused at least $500,000 in damage.

The blazes are still under investigation, but preliminary inspections have linked at least two of them to heating sources or faulty wiring.

It's a hazardous uptick that's been dubbed "fire season” by the WNY Chapter of the Red Cross.

To help prevent fires this winter, leaders with the organization recommend you keep space heaters at least three feet away from flammable surfaces and use a stable power source.

"If you're using a space heater, make sure that you're plugging it into an actual wall instead of a power strip. Sometimes power strips actually get overpopulated with electricity and it causes a lot of house fires,” WNY Red Cross Disaster Program Specialist Alexis Willard said.

Willard adds one still needs to be prepared for the worst, which includes checking smoke alarms, creating an evacuation plan and insuring their home.