ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- With all of this snow and cold weather, a lot of us are using our fire places and space heaters to stay warm, but they can be dangerous.
After an area home went up in flames Thursday, the Blackhawk Fire Deptartment says they believe electric cords sparked the blaze forcing the family who lived there to find somewhere else to stay.
Fires like this are more common than we may think. According to the US Fire Administration, overloaded outlets, space heaters and fire places cause more than two million dollars each year in damage.
"Things like space heaters and wood burning stoves you should have at least a three foot space between those and any combustible objects like the wall or like the floor. Hot ashes fall down so you should have a metal tray beneath the wood burning stove."