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.Permalink| Comments