"If you are using a space heater, a good thing is to be around it," said Marc Schweitzer, Career Firefighter with Weyburn Fire Services. "Don't leave it on and leave the house, sort of thing."

This is just one piece of sagely advice - and timely advice for this time of year, when many are trying to ensure their teens don't try to crank the heat.

Space heaters, noted Schweitzer, are typically used in a smaller spaces, but everything is flammable in modern homes.

"It's all flammable," he noted. "Most of your flooring is flammable, all of it."

He said what is likely going to be a culprit in a fire would be the electrical outlet not being able to keep up with the demand of the appliance, no matter what kind of wiring is in the home.

"What's going to fail is the actual cord," he said. "Then when that sparks, that's mainly what creates the actual burn, like when its shorts out."

He said ensuring the space heater is the only thing plugged into a given outlet, to limit the chances of a fire.

And, of course, remember to never leave it alone.

"If it starts shorting out or something like that, you can pull the plug and you know it's done."