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Fires On The Rise In Areas Hit Hard By Sandy

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - It's been over a month since superstorm Sandy slammed into the Tri-State area and many are still trying to secure basic needs like heat.

WCBS 880's Sean Adams On The Story

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Parts of Midland Beach, Staten Island still look like an abandoned ghost town with no power and storm debris piles curbside.

It's a struggle to live day-to-day and, to stay warm, people are using generators, space heaters, and candles, all of which have inherent risks.

In November, the FDNY saw a spike in serious fires - 37 percent over last November.

Lt. Anthony Mancuso, director of fire safety education, says they're going to be out in hard-hit areas with fire prevention tips and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

"We're always in distributions on Saturday. That's for sure. We're going to be in Staten Island. We're going to be Rockaway. Gerritsen Beach has them in Brooklyn, Coney Island," he told WCBS 880 reporter Sean Adams.

They want people to be smart and safe. Many of these fires were started by electrical malfunctions and unattended candles.

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