Forty-two people died last year in fires in Minnesota, a 14 percent increase from 37 fire deaths in 2018, according to preliminary numbers released by the Department of Public Safety State Fire Marshal Division (SFMD).

Fire death numbers will become final later this year once Minnesota hospital officials report their information to the Minnesota Department of Health.

Careless smoking was the leading cause of fire-related deaths in 2019, with seven people dying as a result of a smoking-related fire, the SFMD said. Careless smoking has been the leading cause of fatal fires in Minnesota every year since 2009.

People aged 50 and older accounted for 67 percent of fire-related deaths in 2019, while 12 percent of homes where people died did not have working smoke detectors.

“There are many little things we can do to prevent a devastating fire from happening in our homes,” State Fire Marshal Jim Smith said in a press release. “It is important to practice fire prevention and safety every day.”

Minnesotans can keep themselves and their families safe by following these fire prevention and safety tips:

• Never leave food cooking on the stovetop unattended; stay and look while you cook;

• Keep items like oven mitts, aprons and paper towels 3 feet from heat sources in the kitchen;

• Keep space heaters three feet from anything combustible;

• Do not leave space heaters unattended. Turn them off while you’re sleeping;

• Plug space heaters directly into the wall, not an extension cord or power strip;

• Have your furnace and chimney inspected annually;

• Keep candles at least three feet from anything that can burn and never leave a candle unattended;

• Use flameless candles instead of real candles;

• Test your smoke and CO alarms monthly and change the batteries at least once a year;

• Install smoke alarms in bedrooms, outside sleeping areas and on every level of the home;

• CO alarms should be installed within 10 feet of each sleeping room or inside each sleeping room; and

• Create a family escape plan and practice it twice a year with everyone in your home. Start by drawing a map of your home that shows two ways out of every room. Make sure those ways out are easy to open (for example, make sure windows aren’t painted shut) and practice using different ones. If you have a multi-level home, consider putting an escape ladder near each window so you can get to the ground safely in an emergency. Finally, designate a meeting place outside, such as a tree or utility pole.