BATON ROUGE - With cold weather on the rise in the capitol region, local fire departments are trying to prevent heat-related home fires as much as possible.

Earlier this week, the State Fire Marshal released a statement urging home fire safety after three overnight home fires resulted in six fatalities.

According to statistics obtained by WBRZ from the Baton Rouge Fire Department, there were 39 heat-related or equipment failure fires in 2024.

The good news is that these fires are 100% preventable and here is how.

Make sure space heaters are 3-5 feet away from bedding and other flammable items.

Plug space heaters directly into wall outlets.

Never leave space heaters and candles unattended.

Have working smoke alarms and CO detectors in your home.