Wareham has seen the temperature drop very low for days in a row, marking a sharp shift from the mild winter the area has seen so far this year.

When it comes to cold weather problems, such as burst pipes, both the Wareham and Onset fire departments reported a few incidents, but nothing major.

“It’s been quiet, which is a good thing,” said Onset Fire Captain Howard Andersen.

Andersen says that as the weather warms and water pipes start thawing, he expects the fire department will have to answer more calls concerning flooding from burst water pipes.

“As things warm up, that’s when we tend to see an increase,” he said.

Andersen added that homeowners who attempt to warm frozen pipes on their own can make the problem worse.

Andersen said that residents should use extreme caution when trying to thaw pipes, asked that nobody break out a blow torch for the job!

“You get a homeowner that’s savvy in home repair who will attempt to make repairs themselves, next thing you know an ember goes into the wall that they don’t see, and next thing you know the house is on fire," he said.

Wareham resident Josh Atwood sent Wareham Week a picture of the damage the cold weather did in his home during the evening of Thursday, Jan. 24.

“Pipes in the basement froze. They were above, in [a] drop ceiling,” said Atwood.

Although the incident caused some damage to the ceiling, Atwood was relieved that a plumber was available to fix the pipe on Friday morning.

“It could have been worse,” he said.

To avoid frozen pipes, Andersen advises that all residents make sure their water pipes are properly insulated and protected from any cold air that could come from cracks in the walls or the foundation of a home.

Andersen also has advice for summer residents whose homes stand vacant all winter: “The best thing to do is make sure things are drained down," he said. "Have a plumber winterize the house.”

Andersen also noted that residents should be careful when using space heaters, making sure the heaters are clear of any flammable or combustible material.

Space heaters can use a lot of electricity, and Andersen said residents should take care not to overload the electrical system in their homes.

For example, if someone were to have a space heater plugged into a power strip with too many other electrical devices, it could overload the electrical system in the house. This can cause power outages or even a fire, Andersen said.

Though snow is expected for the beginning of the week, meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Taunton are predicting spring-like temperatures for mid-week — reaching into the high 40s and perhaps even the mid-50s!

Has the cold weather given you any grief? Tell us about it, or send pictures to caitlin@warehamweek.com.