The kitchen sink could provide an important safety function for homeowners seeking to reduce fire risks this winter.Advice by the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, set out on newswales.co.uk, notes that people will take additional measures to keep warm while at home this winter, thereby presenting multiple fire hazards.Due to the extreme icy conditions various heating appliances are being used and we are urging people to make sure that these appliances are properly checked and maintained, said Mike Hough, fire legislation safety manager with the service.Also a range of heating and defrosting methods are often tried in these adverse circumstances and people should use due care when using such methods.Among its warnings, the fire service suggested that more people will use wheat heating bags to keep warm this winter.It therefore advised people to only use such a product as a heat pack for direct application to the body, adding that they should be left to cool in a safe area on a non-combustible surface like a kitchen sink.