As the temperatures drop, fire officials and safety experts are warning Long Islanders of the dangers of using unconventional methods to heat their homes.

The frigid temperatures and the tough economy are forcing Long Islanders to use space heaters or even their ovens to keep their homes warm.

John Wolffe, from the Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center, says using space heaters improperly can ignite a fire pretty quickly. Space heaters should be placed 3 feet away from any other object, in all directions. Keeping combustibles far away is very important and plugging them into overloaded sockets can spark a fire. Also, he says to never leave space heaters unattended.

?As a safety precaution, they shouldn't be used overnight and when people leave the room where the space heater is, it should be unplugged just to be on the safe side,? Wolffe says.

Fire experts say it's also very important to have working carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.

To see demonstrations of dangerous home heating methods, go to Channel 612 on your iO digital cable box and select iO Extra.