An Increase in Cooking
Winter is a time for holiday meals, baking and festive dishes, but all of this extra cooking can also make a fire more likely to start. The No. 1 place for a fire to start is in the kitchen, which is true at any time of year, but applies especially during winter weather.

The Risk of Heaters
Unsafe heating practices in the home cause the second-highest amount of winter fires, due to space heaters without safety features and fireplaces or wood stoves without grates. If a heater tips over, a safety shut-off should kick in to prevent it from igniting the floor. For wood-burning apparatuses, a grate will keep sparks from traveling outside of the area and onto something flammable.

Candles and Decorations
Though candles and decorations bring forth good cheer around the holidays, they can also bring an increased chance that a fire will occur. Due to their open flame, candles are always risky—they should always be kept well away from other objects and used under supervision. For electronics, these are generally much safer as long as their wires are not worn or prone to overheating.