WATERVILLE -- As the air chills with the approach of winter, fire safety experts are urging residents to use caution when heating their homes with alternative means, such as wood pellet stoves or propane heaters.

The use of such devices rose this year along with heating oil prices, bringing a corresponding increase in home heating-related fires and incidents involving unsafe levels of carbon monoxide, fire officials say. Burning wood is especially risky if residents do not take the proper precautions, such as burning only seasoned wood and keeping chimneys clean and free of obstructions, Augusta Fire Department Battalion Commander Al Nelson said.

Chimneys and stoves must be installed according to manufacturers' specifications, and then professionally inspected, he said.

"I know it sounds like (it would cost) a lot," Nelson said. "But if you don't pay the money and you're using a chimney, and there's a fire in the night, the outcome might not be that great."

Two relatively high-profile fire deaths over the weekend were caused by home heating or cooking appliances.

Margaret M. Rivers, 82, of Augusta, died in a fire on Friday afternoon when a hot plate ignited items in her home, consuming the structure. A neighbor spotted flames coming from the door of Rivers' home, but it was too late to rescue her.

On Sunday, 77-year-old Joseph Albert of Sanford died of smoke inhalation at Maine Medical Center after his clothing caught fire while he stood too close to a propane heater.

Nelson said residents should also use carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, because an open flame, if not properly ventilated, could fill a house with carbon monoxide without warning. Nelson and his firefighters earlier Monday afternoon had remedied such a situation.

"The house we went into was absolutely normal," he said, "No smell, no nothing."

A carbon monoxide alarm was all that alerted the family to a situation that quickly could have turned deadly.

Waterville Fire Department has seen its share of fires that were sparked by improperly-installed wood pellet stoves, Capt. Philip Simonds said.

"We expect that all this is going to increase, obviously, because of the increased price of oil, and more people are turning to alternative heating," Simonds said.

Simonds said that another common problem in the Waterville area is that people who have recently turned to burning wood are sometimes burning green wood, which produces creosote, blocking chimneys and filling houses with carbon monoxide.

The reason for the increase in these sorts of incidents corresponds with the rising number of people with limited experience using alternative heating sources, Maine Fire Marshal John Dean said. One step that might seem obvious is to use the appropriate fuel, he said.

"It is one of the most common types of fires we have here in Maine, because, obviously, it's a cold-weather state," he said. "We've actually had people put gasoline in a kerosene heater. And that's caused some fatalities."

Dean said any alternative source of heat that employs an open flame should be kept at least three feet away from any combustible materials. Residents should also make sure chimneys are aligned properly and use the proper fuel.

"Whether it's cooking appliances or heating appliances, they are both a source of heat, and everyone should be especially vigilant," Dean said.

Joel Elliott -- 861-9252

jelliott@centralmaine.com