HENRICO, Va. (WWBT) - With December starting with back-to-back snowfalls across Central Virginia, many residents are turning to space heaters and fireplaces to warm up, and Henrico County fire officials say it is important to use them safely.

“The big thing is to remember safety of your house always starts with you,” said Henrico Fire Battalion Chief Doug Reynolds.

Reynolds cautioned that one common mistake is plugging a space heater into an extension cord. “Don’t use these extension cords, they overheat, they melt, we see that happen regularly. This is a daisy chain where we have several of them. But you only want to plug them directly into the wall.”

Officials also warned against placing portable heaters in hallways or near exits.

“If this thing catches on fire, then it would block o

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