Officials say two recent fires in St. Catharines drive home the message of cooking safety and the proper use of electrical appliances.
The first fire happened early last Friday morning when firefighters were called to a home on Linlake Drive.
One resident was sent to hospital and the blaze caused $150,000 in damages.
Investigation revealed the source of the fire was a modified space heater in the basement with a spliced electrical cord.
The fire spread to nearby combustible materials.
The second fire happened at a Niagara Street home on Saturday evening when an outdoor smoker ignited the deck and back of a house.
Under city by-laws barbecues and smokers must be at least one metre away from any structure or tree, at least three meters away from any building opening or intakes, and the cooking surface must be at least three metres away from any overhead objects.
A suitable means to extinguish, such as a fire extinguisher, must also be nearby.
Cooking fires are a major concern at this time of year as people become distracted around the holidays.