INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — As Indiana enters the coldest part of the winter, the state's fire marshal is reminding Hoosiers to make sure their homes have enough smoke alarms.

Fire Marshal Jim Greeson says smoke detectors should be installed on every level of a home and be placed near sleeping areas. He says people need to make sure their smoke alarms are properly placed to give their families more precious time to react in a fire. Greeson says half of home heating fires occur during the winter.

People who are deaf or hard of hearing can purchase special smoke alarms that often use strobe lights or vibrations to warn of fires.

Greeson says smoke alarm batteries should be replaced once a year.