Tips on fire safety and prevention

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - The state of Rhode Island has seen a rash of fires recently, with six breaking out in different areas of the state on Sunday.

Several people were displaced by the fires, but luckily no injuries were reported.

Providence Fire Captain Frank Silva doesn't see a specific reason for the latest string of fires, but says that people trespassing into abandoned properties could be an issue.

"We do have some abandoned  buildings in the city, and there's always a concern that people are squatting in the buildings," said Silva. "If we have a drop in temperature, people are in there, they're starting small fires to keep warm, and so that's always a concern for us."

Capt. Silva says the most important thing in fire prevention is to simply use common sense.

"The grills need to be away from the house, and store your combustibles, flammables, away from the building as well," added Silva. "And if you are involved where you need to do any type of outdoor burning, make sure it's in a device that has a spark arrester on it, and check with your local town to make sure it's permitted."

According to Capt. Silva, there are a lot of dry areas in the state that firefighters are keeping an eye on, especially with the dry weather New England has been experiencing.

Silva also advises to check all of your smoke detectors and make sure they're fully-operational.