This is National Fire Prevention Week, and with the cooler weather moving us indoors, it's a good time to assess fire safety in our homes.

Nationwide, there were 369,500 residential fires in 2010, the National Fire Protection Association reported. According to the NFPA, 13,350 people (not including firefighters) were injured, and 2,640 were killed. Those fires caused $6.9 billion in damage.

Steve Heckman, an expert at the Fairlawn Fire Department, and Steve Weinert, a firefighter at Bath Township, have these tips to share with us to keep us safe from harm.

1. Never play with matches or lighters. 
2. Test smoke detectors once a month and change the batteries in a smoke detector twice a year or when you change the clocks.
3. Leave the house immediately when your smoke detectors go off. Go to a designated meeting place then call 911. Never go back inside!
4. Always have pan and pot handles facing inward on the stove when cooking, not sticking out over the edge where a child can pull it over onto themselves.
5. In the event of a fire, crawl low under smoke and do not stand up. There are poisonous gases in smoke and it will affect your ability to breathe and see. Because heat rises it will be a lot hotter the closer you are to the ceiling.

For more tips, visit the National Fire Protection Association's website.