(Radio Iowa) — Structure fires have killed 38 people in Iowa this year, a significant reduction from 2017 when a record 56 people died in fires across the state. Ron Humphrey, spokesman for the State Fire Marshal’s office, says just under half of last year’s total transpired over a two-month period. “I think last year we had 25 fatalities between October 29th and New Year’s Eve,” Humphrey said.

Two fires within a few days of each other killed nine people, including four children, last December. One occurred early on Christmas morning in the tiny town of Blue Grass, while the other fire happened December 21 in nearby Davenport. With much colder weather expected through early next week, Humphrey is recommending Iowans do some preventive maintenance before turning up their furnace or burning wood in a fireplace. “You know, cleaning the dust and other materials out from around your water heater and furnace, make sure furnace filters are replaced and chimney flues are cleaned and swept – keeping those heat producing appliances whether they’re gas fed or solid fuel fed operating properly,” Humphrey said.

According to Humphrey, in most cases, investigators find victims of house fires in Iowa did not have a working smoke detector in their home.