I know we’ve been writing a lot about the issue of winter safety recently, but another big fire in town Thursday morning just underscores the importance of highlighting safe practices for keeping warm during these frigid months of the year.

We all know the problem: It’s really cold outside and Mississippi isn’t necessarily built for that situation. I also know it’s pretty difficult to prepare for the possibility of a winter weather event earlier in the year when it’s perpetually 60 degrees or warmer, even through the holiday season. But, it’s really important that we do try to be ready for inclement winter weather and that we don’t resort to dangerous methods of staying warm. 

Thursday morning’s fire at the vacant Scottish Inn may or may not have been the result of someone trying to escape the elements and improvise some kind of heating device. We don’t know yet. Regardless of the fire’s origin, the small amount of time it took for it to ignite and totally destroy the structure is in and of itself a reminder of how quickly a situation can become an emergency.

When we add in factors present in an occupied home – things like the temptation to plug a lot of things into a surge protector or to pull a space heater just a little closer than we probably should – the odds of something catastrophic happening increase exponentially. 

Over the last several issues of The Vicksburg Post, both Warren County Emergency Management Agency Executive Director John Elfer and Vicksburg fire Chief Derrick Stamps have given lots of good information and helpful tips about how to safely stay warm during these cold winter months. I implore you all to take a look at that story in print or online. It could be a lifesaver.

This time of year is certainly a strain on all of us. As I said, we just aren’t built for these temps in this part of the world. To this day, after 20 years doing this job, the hardest thing I have ever covered remains a winter house fire that sadly took the lives of three small children. In that case, it was the use of an oven to heat the home that caused the fire. I won’t ever forget that cold night in south Alabama, and I certainly don’t want to see a repeat here in central Mississippi.

Stay warm but safe out there.

Blake Bell is the general manager and executive editor of The Vicksburg Post. He can be reached at blake.bell@vicksburgpost.com.