The Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center in Garden City is giving tips on how to protect you and your family during a fire as a part of Fire Prevention Week.

Museum director Alana L. Petrocelli says it's important to teach children fire safety and have their parents practice with them.

She says children can pose questions like "Do we have smoke alarms?" They should also learn how to escape their rooms in the event of a fire.

Chief John Murray says that amid Yom Kippur, families should be careful lighting candles and that they should light them on a non-combustible surface and away from curtains or paper.

He also says to have your heating unit serviced to make sure it is functioning properly, and to make sure the chimney is clean if you have a fireplace.

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Murray says during the summer, squirrels and birds can make nests in chimneys.

Other tips include looking for places fire could start. Take a good look around your home, and identify potential fire hazards and take care of them.

Also, listen for the sound of the smoke alarm. You could have only minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds. Go to your outside meeting place, which should be a safe distance from the home and where everyone should know to meet.

Fire prevention experts say to learn two ways out of every room and make sure all doors and windows leading outside open easily and are free of clutter.

New York is leading fire deaths across the U.S. this year.

Last year, there were eight fire-related deaths in Nassau County.