A Williamson County home where a couple resided for multiple decades, according to family, was destroyed in a fire Monday morning. The house fire on the 5000 block of Carters Creek Pike was reported by multiple motorists passing by just before 8 a.m., said Bill Jorgensen, director of public safety in Williamson County. Tony and Connie Jones were not at home at the time. The house is one of several homes on a family property, son-in-law Jason Eubanks said. Eubanks estimated Tony and Connie Jones have resided at the home 35-40 years. Flames were coming from the back of the home, where the most extensive damage occurred, when firefighters arrived, Jorgensen said. Trees in the back were also scorched.

No injuries were reported.

Investigators are looking at whether the fire started in the area near a space heater, Jorgensen said. But the cause is still undetermined.

Fire also destroyed a Brentwood family’s home earlier on Monday. The preliminary investigation indicates the fire may have been caused by a heat lamp in a dog house on an outside deck.

“The biggest concern we have in cold weather is people using alternative heating methods,” said Brentwood Fire Department Chief Brian Goss.

Here are some fire and cold weather tips from the Brentwood and Nashville fire departments and Williamson County Emergency Management Agency. They include:

• Make sure space heaters don’t have anything stored or stacked in front of space heaters.
• Keep anything that could catch fire at least three feet away from any heat source.
• Turn off space heaters when leaving a room or going to bed.
• Chimneys should be cleaned and inspected yearly.
• Central heat and air-conditioning units should be maintained and serviced.
• Use extreme care when using outside heating equipment.
• Never use an oven to heat a home.
• Make sure smoke alarms work by testing them every month.