Planning to use a fireplace or space heater to stay warm this weekend? Avoid these mistakes.

With temperatures already plummeting in some parts of the U.S. as a fierce winter storm rolls in, federal safety regulators are warning consumers to stay safe as they fire up home heating devices in a bid to stay warm.

Gasoline-powered generators, furnaces and fireplaces can emit carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death if inhaled. Heating sources can also spark fires. Electric space heaters are involved in an average of 1,600 fires a year, while fireplaces and chimneys are involved in an average of 15,400 such incidents, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Here are some tips from the CPSC on how to use home heating equipment safely.

• Keep space heaters at least three feet away from flammable materials, such as drapes, furniture and bedding. Product safety regulators also advise people to plug the devices directly into wall outlets — not power strips — and to turn them off when you’re sleeping.
• Gasoline-powered generators can emit carbon monoxide. As a result, the CPSC says portable generators should only be placed outdoors and at least 20 feet from the home.
• Install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and test them to make sure they are working properly. The safety watchdog says these alarms should be placed on every level of a home, with smoke alarms in each bedroom.
• Hire a professional to check fuel-burning heating systems, such as furnaces, boilers, fireplaces and wood stoves. The CPSC says carbon monoxide poisoning can occur if heating systems are not installed correctly. Fireplaces can also be risky if chimneys are cracked or have other issues.

Roughly 200 million Americans are in the path of the incoming winter storm, which is expected to unleash a mix of snow, ice and frozen rain across a huge swath of the country starting Friday.