Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.  The temperature dropped last week to below freezing.

This event always catches people by surprise. Even though it happens every fall, we go into denial and put off all those chores we have to do before winter sets in.

Last Thursday, September 11, Nederland Fire Protection District and Timberline Fire Protection District were called to a potential structure fire on Twin Sisters Road. They could see the smoke roiling around inside the house, but when they entered they found the smoke was not caused by a fire, but by smoking antifreeze.

House owner Mary Lynn Green said she had had the furnace looked at the preceding day and the repair man was supposed to be coming back. All was well, and would be even better once the work on her furnace was completed. She was lucky.

Many fall fires are started when people decide it's time to turn on their furnace after a summer's vacation from heating the house. Don't wait until the first cold morning to turn on your furnace for the winter. Make a trial run in the fall in case the furnace fails to operate properly. If you encounter any problems, contact a professional to check out your furnace.

Whether your furnace operates on natural gas, propane or electricity, an annual inspection and tune-up can keep your furnace running smoothly and make turning it on in the winter as easy as flipping a switch

There are other important precautions. Check that you have a working smoke alarm installed near bedrooms and living areas in your home. If you have a gas furnace, also install a carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can originate from damaged furnaces or other gas appliances. Breathing this gas can be fatal.

Change the filter in your furnace if you didn't do it at the end of the last heating season. Open the cover over the filter, remove the old filter and insert a new one. A clear filter will help your furnace run at top efficiency.

Light the pilot light if your furnace has one. Most modern furnaces do not have pilot lights, but if you have an older model with a pilot and you extinguished it last spring, you'll need to light it. Most furnaces have directions for lighting the pilot on the side of the furnace near the pilot. If you can't find the directions or they are no longer legible, turn the switch on the furnace to pilot. Press the button for the pilot, usually a red button, and hold the button in as you light the pilot with a long fireplace match or lighter.

Turn the switch on the furnace to on. Set your thermostat at your desired temperature.

Listen to the furnace as it runs. If you hear any squealing, loud knocking or other strange noises, or if you see any smoke coming from the furnace, turn it off and call a service technician.

People using a wood stove for heat should have the chimney cleaned to get out all the creosote that builds up in the chimney pipe. Chimney fires are common in the fall if the stove is fired up and the smokestack has layers of flammable soot in the fire's path out the chimney.

And one last warning: never, never put ashes out on the deck in a paper bag or cardboard box or even in a metal pail without a top. Stick your hand in the ashes to make sure that all embers have died. Your hand will tell you. Never put ashes on top of mulch, duff, chipping or firewood.

These are easy ways to be safe from fall fires. It is worth the time.