More than a hundred people were evacuated from KIK Custom Products on Old Candler Road following a fire that was believed to have started in the ceiling of the company’s laboratory Monday afternoon.

According to Hall County Fire Chief David Kimbrell, the fire was caused by dust and other particles built up on the heating elements that lead to a flame up when the units were turned on.

Among other things, KIK manufactures a variety of household, automotive and pharmaceutical products.

Fires like the one at KIK are a common occurrence during the fall, Kimbrell said.

The cold weather will likely have more people turning on the heat this week.

Kimbrell said with temperatures dropping, he expects to start getting more calls about heat-related incidents.

"It’s usually about the second night after it turns cold," Kimbrell said. "Usually we get calls the first night the heat’s on."

There are a number of complications that can result in heating a home, Kimbrell said.

The first time a fire place is used after the summer can produce excessive smoke if the chimney hasn’t been cleaned.

"The chimney may be stopped up or the squirrels built a nest in it over the summer and it smokes up the house," Kimbrell said.

It’s a good idea to clean heaters and furnaces, too.

"You need to have the systems checked before each season, before heating and before cooling season" said Joey Peck, owner of Local Air Heating and Air Conditioning. "You need to make sure the technician actually cleans it and dusts it down."

Peck said manufacturers also suggest filters be changed monthly.

"The No. 1 recommendation I can make is that everybody has a carbon monoxide detector in their house if they have a gas appliance," Peck said.

Hall County is under a frost advisory a little earlier than normal.

Brian Lynn, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said October temperatures have been lower this month than they were at this time last year because of a cold front.

"Temperatures were on the order of 15 degrees below normal (Sunday) and they’re going to be 10 to 15 degrees lower (Monday)," Lynn said. "This is cooler than normal weather for October."

Kimbrell said calls typically increase as winter sets in.

"When it gets really, really cold is when we usually start having fires," Kimbrell said. "People will continue to plug in more and more heaters and overload their electrical circuits or they’ll build a larger fire in the fireplace.