BANGOR – Recent heating-equipment fires in Greater Bangor have prompted the Bangor Fire Department’s fire prevention bureau to urge Mainers to exercise caution when using such alternative heating equipment as wood stoves and space heaters to heat their homes.

Heating-equipment fires are the second leading cause of fires in the United States. Despite that, increasing heating fuel costs are causing more Mainers to use alternative sources.

To stay safe during the heating season, the fire prevention bureau is encouraging residents to take heed of the following safety tips:

. Those who heat with wood should make sure their chimneys are clean. That should be done whenever creosote, a byproduct of wood fires, builds up to a quarter-inch or more inside chimneys. Homeowners also should take apart stovepipe connections and make sure those are clean before putting them back together.

. Hot ashes from wood stoves should be disposed of properly by placing them in metal containers located away from buildings. Ashes should never be placed in paper bags, cardboard boxes or plastic containers, which are combustible.

. Gasoline and other flammable liquids should never be used to start fires. Use kindling, paper or cardboard to start the fire. Be sure these items are stored away from the stove.

. Residents of Bangor and several other Maine communities must obtain the necessary inspection and permit before installing wood stoves. In some communities, the local fire departments also will clean chimneys for free or for a donation.

. Oil furnaces and boilers also can start fires, though those kinds of heating equipment are statistically safer. Oil furnaces and boilers should be inspected annually by certified oil burner technicians.

. Space heaters must never be left unattended and like any other heating device, they should be kept at least three feet away from furniture, drapes, clothes baskets and other combustible materials.

For information, residents should contact their local fire department.