A string of recent fires in the Capital Region – some of them deadly – are serving as a strong reminder to take precautions when heating your home.

As the snow begins to fly and cooler temperatures settle in across New York state, people will rely on various methods to heat their homes.

“We’ve got to do it safely, we’ve got to do it right,” said Ashley Rivers, who helps lead the Warren County Office of Emergency Services.

According to the National Fire Prevention Association, heating equipment is the second-leading cause of house fires.

“If they’re too close to flammable material, that can pose a fire hazard,” Rivers explained.

Space heaters play a considerable role in the alarming stats, accounting for two of every five fires.

“Something else we kind of see is multiple space heaters plugged into an outlet,” Rivers said. “We suggest that you do one per outlet or use a surge protector.”

The dangers were sadly realized in the Capital Region.

Albany’s historic Elijah Missionary Baptist Church was recently demolished after a fire sparked by a space heater on the second-floor caused considerable damage last month.

More recently in Albany County, a house fire in Knox claimed two lives, and another fatal fire occured in Waterford, Saratoga County.

“We had heavy smoke, heavy fire,” recalled Waterford Fire Chief Donald Baldwin. “From the rear of the building, the flames were in the air 40 or 50 feet.”

State fire investigators were still working to determine the cause of those fires.

Beyond space heaters, there are several other housekeeping items to keep in mind throughout the winter. Is your gas furnace in good, working order? Is your chimney clean? Are the batteries in your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors working?

“If you’re using gas-powered heating sources, make sure there is vented areas so that carbon monoxide gases don’t stay trapped inside the house,” Rivers said.