BIRMINGHAM, Ala (WIAT) -- Birmingham Fire and Rescue Cpt. Orlando Reynolds said the cause of several recent house and building fires remain under investigation.
As the winter season approaches, Cpt. Reynolds said it's common to see an uptick in house fires.
"When the weather gets cold, like it's been the past couple days, you will find people trying to find different ways to stay warm. So, when that happens, we do see an uptick in fire related incidents," said Cpt. Reynolds.
Those different ways to stay warm include space heaters and using cooking equipment like ovens to warm a house.
Which, according to the National Fire Protection Association, are two leading causes of U.S. House fires from December to January.
"Space heaters are just that: It needs space. We're recommending that you have at least 3 feet of space between the space heater and any object around it," said Cpt. Reynolds.
Annette Rowland with the Alabama American Red Cross said they've helped assist with over 300 fires since June of this year.
"Lately there's been a lot of back-to-back instances," said Rowland.
Rowland said volunteers with the Red Cross are often called to assist those experiencing loss to provide resources and support.
"We understand that this is nothing somebody needs to go through alone. So, we want to make sure that we're there quickly and we're there to comfort families." said Rowland.
Both Rowland and Cpt. Reynolds encourage people to make sure they have a fire alarm that works properly.
Cpt. Reynolds also suggests keeping a carbon monoxide detector in the home as well.