TWIN TIERS, N.Y. (WENY) -- As winter approaches, there are certain fire risks that come with the season.  Space heaters are a commonly used item, but they should be used with caution.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 20,000 fires a year are associated with space heaters.  A professional at the Horseheads Do-It Center shared some advice about using the devices in your home.  Space heaters should only be used when a person is actually in the room, and they should be far away from any items that could catch fire, like curtains or tablecloths.

If you use a kerosene or gas space heather, there's some upkeep maintenance that can be done to make things a little safer.

"Every so often you should take it to a place such as us to do a kerosene heater tune up, where we'll check the wick, check the ignition system, make sure it's burning clean, adjust it if needed, do a slight cleaning on it Not 100% on the pricing, but it does include the wick and check up on new batteries," said Max Bernhard, from the Horseheads Do-It Center.

October is fire safety month, and next week is actually national fire safety week.  In addition to checking out your space heaters, this month is also a reminder to check the batteries on smoke and CO2 detectors, as well as fire extinguishers and escape ladders.