Winter Weather Brings Warm Danger

By Gan Matthews, NEWS 9

NORMAN, Oklahoma -- As the winter weather continues to send the temperatures down, many people are turning to fireplaces to warm their homes, but a crackling fire could be dangerous.

A home's fireplace needs periodic cleaning, and the profession of chimney sweep hasn't changed much over the centuries.

The sweeper still has to climb to the house's rooftop and scrap out the chimney with a brush attached to a long handle.

Although not everybody has a fireplace, almost everyone has a gas furnace for heating their home.

Heating specialists said this is a good time to have your system checked by an expert, who can also check it out for any carbon monoxide leaks.

"It can make you deadly sick, and it can even be deadly," said Tim Van Valkenburg of Air Comfort Solutions. "It's just very, very important to have every home checked that has a gas-fired furnace."

You can fine a chimney sweep near you with I Need This on News9.com.