As you get busier with the holiday rush and try to get more things accomplished it can be easy to get distracted. Getting into that frame of mind can sometimes lead to unfortunate situations like fires while cooking.

Winkler Fire Chief Richard Paetzold says although unattended cooking is most often the cause of these fires, there are many different situations and circumstances that lead to kitchen fires. He says the key thing is to be aware of what you're doing.

"Unattended is often what it is but it's even sometimes improper extinguishment of small fires that occur when you overheat oil and people throw flour on the flame instead of baking soda or just putting a lid on it and it causes it to spread," said Paetzold. He says the key thing is to plan ahead, know the risks and know what to do if something should occur.

Paetzold adds if you have kids and pets around while you're cooking, to also remember to turn pot handles in so they don't accidentally get bumped causing burns.

Meanwhile, when using extension cords to help illuminate your Christmas lighting this holiday season, it's important to pay attention to where you're using cords designated for indoor and outdoor use.

Paetzold says there is a clear difference in how extension cords are made. He said cords for outside use are constructed to be thicker to include extra insulation.

Using outdoor extension cords indoors is actually a fire hazard, Paetzold says.

"Often people will use their 50 ft extension cord and will just coil what they don't need in the corner. "That is definitely a hazard because you have a situation where electricity running through the cord is creating heat, and because the insulation is there to keep the heat in to keep it (the cord) flexible when it's used outdoors, it gets hotter and hotter, and then you usually have a break down of the insulation inside, and then you get a short, and then you get a fire."