A day after a fire swept through several homes on the Northshore, fire safety experts say now is the time to make sure your home is fire safe.

Firefighters worked through the aftermath of a fast-moving fire that destroyed several homes in Mandeville Saturday.

"We arrived to find a rather large residence fully involved in fire, which spread to the two adjacent buildings -- one on the north side, one on the south side," said Dan Haydel, assistant chief of the St. Tammany Fire Department.

But fires themselves are not that unusual, says home fire safety expert Earl Carr.

He said the New Orleans area is now moving into what he calls the “fire season,” brought about by a combination of cooler temperatures and carelessness.

"What happens is people inadvertently have fires in their homes because of space heaters," Carr said.

One of the bigger problems in the area, Carr said, are homes left abandoned after Hurricane Katrina.

"We have a real critical condition of homes that are not boarded up, where these vagrants and so forth go in there to stay warm during the wintertime," Carr said.

That is why Carr suggests neighbors keep an eye on what is going on with abandoned properties near them.

"Neighborhood watch is a key issue. And certainly, all the parties in the neighborhood need to be watching those structures," Carr said.

But beyond that, the National Fire Protection Association says most home fires begin in the kitchen, when cooking is left unattended.

Carr says with winter approaching, now is a time to make sure of several things.

Change the batteries in your smoke detector and replace the detector itself if it's more than 10 years old.

Keep several fire extinguishers in strategic places around the home.

Make sure the chimney is swept if you plan to use a wood burning fireplace.

Have a family plan on how to escape your home and meet up in case of a fire.

"I want you to observe your conditions and don't take anything for granted," Carr said.