A cold, nasty turn in the weather has many thinking of - and dreading - their upcoming heating bills. But for some, there is help.

The nonprofit Ninth District Opportunity Inc. offers assistance with heating bills for those who qualify for its low-income energy assistance program.

The group began this year's program Nov. 1 for senior households, those where everyone in the home is 65 and older. So far they have helped 490, a slight increase over last year's 480, said Linda Shadburn, Hall County community resource coordinator for the nonprofit agency.

On Wednesday, the program will expand help to those of any age, but still meeting low-income requirements.

"Households are approved based on household size and income," Shadburn said. "And there are two different income tiers, and based on where they fall at in those tiers they get a benefit of either $310 or $350." Income requirements vary throughout the program.

Once a household is approved, the Ninth District Opportunity sends the money directly to the energy supplier.

The program is funded by the state, and as with many programs, funding was cut this year. Therefore income requirements are a little more stringent this year, Shadburn said.

Last year in December, the program helped 465 on top of the 480 helped in November. Shadburn said she expects to see about the same number of requests for help this year.

"We do expect to exhaust our funds in December or January, relatively quickly this year," she added.

Heating a home leads to more than just some money problems, it can also lead to danger, especially if residents are using fireplaces, wood-burning stoves or electric or kerosene heaters to heat a home.

"We have numerous chimney fires every single year, and usually that is because of maintenance, or lack thereof," said Capt. Scott Cagle, Hall County fire marshal. "People will set a fire in there fireplace and then they'll leave the house; of course, we don't recommend that they do that."

That's exactly what happened in a fire Sunday.

Someone put "another log on the fire before leaving the house," Cagle said Sunday. "She wanted to keep the home warm while she was gone ... Something popped out onto the carpet and started a fire. Luckily, the fire burned itself out."

Cagle recommends people have their fireplaces and chimneys inspected annually by a professional. He also said seasoned hardwood should be used, not pine, and a sturdy screen should be in front of the fireplace. Wood-burning stoves similarly must be inspected.

Kerosene and electric space heaters also are common causes of fires. Cagle said they require 3 feet of space around and above them. Curtains, couches or chairs that are too close could catch fire.

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide monitors also should be used, and they can be found at major home improvement retailers.

Cagle also added that families should know what to do when the alarm goes off; just like a fire drill at school, there should be a plan in place on how to get out of the home.