By Katherine Murphy

Brutally cold temperatures are on the way as an arctic wave sits over much of the Midwest, with a high of -14  on Wednesday and a low of -24.

As the temperature continues to drop to sub-zero levels, homeowners and tenants will do what they can to stay warm, including the use of heating implements.

Pontiac Fire Chief Scott Runyon urges caution when using heating devices such as space heaters and fireplaces. Many incidences involving space heaters can be blamed on simple human error, the fire chief says, such as when placing the heater too close to a chair in order to warm your feet.

Making sure your fireplace is properly maintained is a good way to avoid preventable fires, he goes on to say.

Another home danger of cold weather is carbon monoxide poisoning, which happens when the vents and pipes of high efficiency heaters become clogged due to blowing snow.

Runyon says it is important to check intake and exhaust pipes after snowstorms and to make sure detectors have fresh batteries.