The chief of Windsor Fire and Rescue is wishing for a "fire-free holiday season."

Chief Steve LaForet is reminding everyone that while fire can happen anywhere, at anytime, it most often strikes when we let our guard down.

LaForet says unattended cooking is the leading cause of fires over the holiday season, so we need to do our best to stay in the kitchen and not leave anything unattended.

He says the second leading cause of fires over the holiday season is careless smoking.

"Make sure smokers extinguish cigarettes in large deep ashtrays, not in plant pots which may contain peat moss or shredded bark that can easily ignite," he says. "Ashes should be emptied in a metal container, not the garbage can, and be put outside."

LaForet says if you have a real Christmas tree, make sure you water it daily and keep water in the container throughout the holiday season.

"Before we put lights on our tree or before we decorate, we check those cords to make sure their not damaged or frayed. Of course, we make make sure that we having working smoke alarms on all the levels of our homes and near our sleeping areas and working carbon monoxide alarms," he adds.

Enjoy a fire-safe holiday season by following these tips:

• Always stay in the kitchen when something is cooking on the stove.
• Place lit candles away from anything that can burn and out of the reach of children and pets where they cannot be knocked over.
• Remember to snuff out candles before leaving the room or going to bed. Consider using battery-operated or electric flameless candles.
• Drink responsibly. Attempting to cook or smoke while under the influence of alcohol is too often a contributing factor in fatal fires.
• Make sure the base of real Christmas trees is immersed in water at all times to prevent the tree from getting too dry.
• Check all sets of decorative lights before putting them up and discard any sets that are damaged.
• Develop and practice a home fire escape plan so that everyone in your home knows what to do if the smoke or CO alarms sound.

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