Bridgeport Fire Chief Lance Edwards made a cold-weather appeal to the public Wednesday.

"This arctic blast of winter weather has led to a spike in structure fires here in the city, so we're asking folks to be careful with their space heaters and not use their ovens to heat their homes - two practices that can lead to fires and loss of life," Edwards said.

Edwards is urging the public to take advantage of the city's free smoke and carbon monoxide detector program.

"It's a way to save lives and keep our community safe," Edwards said.