Keeping your house warm during the winter months can not only be a challenge but also a safety hazard.

When it gets this cold, it makes doing everything more difficult.

"Everything freezes up. It makes us move slow, and everything else move slow," said Garry Robins of London.

Folks braved the cold blast on Monday to run errands.

"I'll be glad to get back home where it is warm," said Deborah Payne.

But in order to stay warm in this freeze, folks need to take a few precautions.

"They just take everything for granted and don't check their furnace, don't check their filters, and things like that. Those are things that have to be checked," said London Fire Department Captain Tony Brown.

A weekend fire in Harrison County killed two adults and two children. Investigators believe a portable heater might have sparked it.

Captain Brown said a faulty extension cord is one of the leading causes of fires involving space heaters.

As the temperatures continue to fall, folks should take steps to keep their families both safe and warm.

"It can be a dangerous situation because people will use different types of heat, and sometimes people will leave fires burning in their home unattended," said Brown.

Because this cold looks like it could be here for a while.

"I don't know. It's just started," said Payne.

Fire officials said this is also a good time to make sure your smoke detectors have fresh batteries and are working.