With more snow expected to move through the area this weekend, the Detroit Fire Department is urging residents to use caution when heating their homes.

Nationwide, nearly 30 percent of residential fires between 2019 and 2023 were caused by alternative heating sources, according to the National Fire Protection Association. In Detroit, the fire department reported 73 residential fires and one death linked to alternative heating sources in 2024 alone.

Fire Chief Dennis Hunter said space heaters were responsible for 50 percent of those incidents.

“That’s one of the main culprits,” Hunter said. “People also tend to use outdoor heaters that should be used outdoors and not indoors. And if they run out of power, they tend to use generators which also should be used outdoors.”

Space Heater Safety Tips:

• Purchase a heater with the seal of a qualified testing laboratory.
• Keep the heater at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn, including people.
• Choose a heater with a thermostat and overheat protection.
• Place the heater on a solid, flat surface.
• Make sure your heater has an auto shut-off to turn the heater off if it tips over.
• Keep space heaters out of the way of foot traffic.
• Never block an exit.
• Keep children away from the space heater.
• Plug the heater directly into the wall outlet.
• Never use an extension cord.
• Space heaters should be turned off and unplugged when you leave the room or go to bed.

The fire department is also warning residents not to use their ovens to heat their homes, as it can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Additionally, Hunter stresses that generators should be placed at least 10 feet away from homes, with exhaust pointed away from windows.

“Generators are great if used properly,” Hunter said. “Do not ever put a generator in your home or in your garage. That CO is so strong from generators, it can even seep from the garage into the house.”

Hunter added that while kerosene heaters designed for indoor use are acceptable for short periods, they emit high levels of carbon monoxide. Residents should also ensure their fireplaces are properly vented before use.

Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips:

• Never use your stove as a primary heat source for your home; it is extremely dangerous and can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning and fires. Stoves are designed for cooking, not heating a room — overheating can occur.
• Kerosene heaters should only be used indoors for short periods.
• If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do not run a vehicle or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors are open. Make sure the exhaust pipe of a running vehicle is not covered with snow.
• During and after a snowstorm, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove and fireplace are clear of snow build-up.
• A generator should be used in a well-ventilated location outdoors away from windows, doors and vent openings.
• Gas or charcoal grills can produce CO — only use outside.
• CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home and in other locations where required by applicable laws, codes or standards. For the best protection, interconnect all CO alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for placement and mounting height.
• Choose a CO alarm that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.
• If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for low batteries. If the battery is low, replace it. If it still sounds, call the fire department.
• If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Make sure everyone inside the home is accounted for. Call for help from a fresh air location and stay there until emergency personnel arrive.

For more fire safety tips, visit the Detroit Fire Department website.

Some trees in Michigan are more susceptible to ice damage during freezing conditions according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. As ice builds up, branches can crack and break under the added weight, leading to tree damage and potential hazards. Weaker wood trees like Silver Maple, mulberries, and some elms are the most susceptible.

Fluctuating winter weather can cause long term damage to trees. Sunlight can warm the southside of thin-barked tree causing sap to melt and then refreeze when temperatures drop. This freeze-thaw cycle can rupture the bark, leading to internal damage.

Department of Natural Resources Forester Lawrence Law recommends covering the southside of the tree with burlap to provide shade.

“Once the tree has no leaves and it’s winter, it doesn’t fully warm up that side of the tree, so it won’t freeze again. It will just stay dormant within the bark there, and that tree is much more likely to not have frost damage on the bark,” says Law.

Law says tree maintenance can play a crucial role in minimizing ice storm damage.

“So trees that have not been maintained in terms of pruning every 5 to 10 years usually have poor branching, some weak unions amongst branches to the tree— especially those silver Maples that are very prevalent in Southeast Michigan.”

Law also suggests homeowners consult an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certified arborist, especially those with a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ), to determine tree risk during icy weather.

Law also says if branches fall on power lines, residents should avoid approaching them and report the issue to local utility companies immediately.

We’re a little over a week into the new year and there’s at least one thing that’s notable about it so far: It is COLD. 

The freezing weather we’re experiencing now is part of a broader cold front hitting the midwest and east coast. Winters have been getting warmer on average, due to climate change, but the nature of our changing climate means the weather shifts to the extremes. 

Today on The Metro, we heard from experts and listeners on how to best navigate the coldest months. 

Holli-Anne Passmore, an associate professor and department chair of psychology at Concordia University of Edmonton, joined the show to talk about the psychological benefits of connecting with the natural world, even in the winter.

“There’s also something called nature connectedness, and that’s about the quality of your relationship with the natural world,” Passmore said. 

Ian Solomon, founder of Amplify Outside and communications and engagement manager for the Detroit Parks Coalition, also joined the discussion. Amplify Outside works to remove barriers that prevent people from enjoying the outdoors. 

“The land moves with the seasons, the city does not. So you really have to give first, give yourself grace that you are expected to move at a pace that is unnatural,” Solomon said. “All of us are moving in an unnatural way right now, and we do it every year for four months straight. And so we have to first accept and say, I’m not the problem.”

We also asked our listeners:

“What do you enjoy doing in the winter months?”

George from Southgate said: “I am a winter person to begin with, I love the winter time. But I’m a retired soldier, and when I was in the army our uniforms improved tremendously because of the new technology out there that keeps you warm. Gore-Tex shoes for example, they’re waterproof, but they’re breathable so your feet don’t sweat.”

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation and other stories from “The Metro.”

More stories from The Metro on Jan. 10, 2024: 

• Beginning this week, Detroit high school students can earn $200 gift cards every time they have perfect attendance for 10 consecutive school days. The program runs through March and students can earn up to $1,000. Jeremy Singer, a professor of teaching at Wayne State University and associate director of the Detroit Partnership for Education Equity and Research, joins the show to talk about DPSCD’s new approach to combat chronic absenteeism.
• The Detroit Film Theatre is launching its winter season this week. Elliot Wilhelm has been the director of the DFT since 1974. He spoke with WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper about films to see at the theater this month.
• Last summer, the Michigan State Supreme Court ruled that former property owners are retroactively entitled to profits from tax foreclosure sales. This means if your home was foreclosed on from 2015 to 2020, you could be owed some cash. Detroit Documenters, Outlier Media and five community organizations are working to get this money back in Detroiters hands. Senior reporter Koby Levin and Detroit Documenters Coordinator Noah Kincade joined The Metro to talk about the new project.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.