As winter is beginning with a hefty snowfall yesterday, new safety concerns are popping up around many facets of people's lives. 

That's according to the Fire Chief of the Estevan Fire Department, Dale Feser.

He says that one of the most important parts of winter safety is making sure that you're warming up in a safe way. 

Carbon monoxide is a gas that's given off by many gas-powered and other heating implements, and can potentially fill a house with deadly results.

Feser says to check any heating implements for potential leakage, make sure there are no flammable or combustible items near any heating appliance and have your furnace ductwork cleaned out.

He also asks that people take safety into consideration when starting their cars.

"We also see an increased use of vehicles being started inside of garages, you have to be very wary and cautious of this as the exhaust will emit carbon monoxide and will migrate into the home itself through cracks and not," said Feser, "So it's always best to leave the vehicles running in an outdoor environment rather than in a garage."

Safety concerns with cars don't end at the garage, with slippery road conditions often causing accidents.

"When it comes to the motoring public obviously once we get a bunch of snow on the ground you want to be cautious and slow down your driving speed and adjust them accordingly to your road conditions," said Feser, "You always want to make sure as well that if you're planning a trip to allow yourself a bit more time."

Feser also commented that the fire trucks the department uses don't have specialized equipment to deal with icy roads, so it's more important than ever to give them the right of way.