More than 80 percent of fire deaths occur in the home, most often claiming the lives of the young and the elderly.* Cooking, heating, and smoking are the leading causes of residential fires. The number of home fires increases significantly in the winter months, when people in cold climates spend more time indoors and place demands on kitchen, electric, and heating utilities. Unattended cooking, fireplaces, and portable heaters are a few of the more obvious factors contributing to wintertime home fires. Tragedies also result from human errors such as falling asleep while smoking, inadequate control of an open flame, failing to turn off cooking or electrical equipment, and placing combustibles (e.g., aerosol cans) and flammable objects too close to heat sources.