Cold weather is blowing in. And with winter nearly here, it's time for many people to get their homes ready.

A good place to start is your furnace. Hunter heat and air service manager Cody Minyard says having a furnace inspected can save your life.

"If there's holes in the heat exchanger it definitely could be fatal to any homeowner," Minyard said.

That's because it could leak deadly carbon monoxide.
But you can keep your family safe with a carbon monoxide detector.

While Minyard says most furnaces now have a self-lighting pilot, it's important to know how to turn on the pilot if yours doesn't.

"First turn your gas valve to pilot, hold the button, light the pilot and continue holding it down for five seconds," he said. "At five seconds you let off and if it doesn't stay lit you have problems."

Keeping your furnace is in good working order isn't the only step in winterizing your home. It's also important to stay safe with other ways of keeping warm as the cold front comes in.

Space heaters can cause an electrical fire when an extension cord overheats.

Ardmore fire Marshall Clyde Ellis says using them for a short time can prevent this.

"We recommend that you use them while you're in the room and when you leave the room turn them off," Ellis said.

The Red Cross also says to prevent a fire this winter keep flammable objects three feet away from space heaters, never leave a fire in a fireplace unattended, and have your chimney inspected and cleaned.

But for homeowners like Jaimi Welch, winterizing means one thing.

"The heat stays in and the cold doesn't come in."

And with these tips, you'll be warm and safe.