The polar vortex that gripped much of the country has moved on, but don't get too comfortable - another round of frigid air is expected to arrive next week across the northern U.S., from the Dakotas eastward to New England.  It'll be cold, but not the life-threatening cold of last week when subzero temperatures enveloped much of the country and contributed to at least a dozen deaths.

Cold weather brings about certain risks and the need to practice some basic precautions.  A Torrington woman was burned recently while putting wood in her stove.  Her clothes caught fire.  The woman was transferred to the Bridgeport Hospital Burn Unit in serious condition. 

Danbury Fire Chief Geoff Herald has some common sense advice. He suggests using tongs or another instrument that will allow you to stand back from the stove while loading it.

Herald says cold weather brings about certain other risks too. These include having functioning carbon monoxide detectors in your home.  If you have a heating system where there is a fuel burned, whether it is wood, pellets, fuel oil or gas, there is the potential for a carbon monoxide exposure.