Fire Safety Tips

A Season for Sharing in Fire Safety

Each year fires occurring during the holiday season claim the lives of over 400 people, injure 1,650 more, and cause over $990 million in damage. According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), there are simple life-saving steps you can take to ensure a safe and happy holiday. By following some of the outlined precautionary tips, individuals can greatly reduce their chances of becoming a holiday fire casualty.

Preventing Christmas Tree Fires

• Christmas Tree Fire Hazards – Movie segments demonstrating how fast a live Christmas tree can become fully engulfed in flames. Special fire safety precautions need to be taken when keeping a live tree in the house. A burning tree can rapidly fill a room with fire and deadly gases.
• Selecting a Tree for the Holiday
  Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needle should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard.
• Caring for Your Tree
  Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.
• Disposing of Your Tree
  Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or woodburning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a community pick-up service.

Holiday Lights

• Maintain Your Holiday Lights
  Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up. Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory.
• Do Not Overload Electrical Outlets
  Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet. Make sure to periodically check the wires – they should not be warm to the touch.
• Do Not Leave Holiday Lights on Unattended

Holiday Decorations

• Use Only Nonflammable Decorations
  All decorations should be nonflammable or flame-retardant and placed away from heat vents.
• Never Put Wrapping Paper in a Fireplace
  It can result in a very large fire, throwing off dangerous sparks and embers and may result in a chimney fire.
• Artificial Christmas Trees
  If you are using a metallic or artificial tree, make sure it is flame retardant.

Candle Care

• Avoid Using Lit Candles
  If you do use them, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down. Never leave the house with candles burning.
• Never Put Lit Candles on a Tree
  Do not go near a Christmas tree with an open flame – candles, lighters or matches.

Finally, as in every season, have working smoke alarms installed on every level of your home, test them monthly and keep them clean and equipped with fresh batteries at all times. Know when and how to call for help. And remember to practice your home escape plan.

Each year fires occurring during the holiday season injure 2,600 individuals and cause over $930 million in damage. There are simple life-saving steps you can take to ensure a safe and happy holiday.

Winter Holidays

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, holiday trees are involved in about 400 fires annually, resulting in 20 deaths, 70 injuries and an average of more than $15 million in property loss and damage. To ensure your happy holidays don’t turn into tragedy you need to follow a few extra fire safety precautions. The following information will help you make certain your celebrations are fire safe.

Candles

Candles can help create a festive atmosphere to your celebrations but they can also cause great damage if not used safely. December is the peak month for candle fires.

Always put candles in candlesticks before you light them. Don’t use lit candles as decorations on your holiday tree or near flammable decorations and curtains. Never leave candles unattended or within the reach of young children. Extinguish all candles when leaving the room or going to sleep.

Electricity

Cords and plugs are the leading type of equipment involved in the ignition of Christmas trees.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to use tree lights. Any string lights with worn, frayed or broken cords or loose bulbs should not be used. Always unplug tree lights before leaving home or going to sleep.

Holiday Trees

Trees are an important decoration for many holiday celebrations. Keep your tree away from fireplaces, portable and baseboard heaters. Try to keep fresh- cut trees as moist as possible by giving them plenty of water each day.

Dispose of fresh-cut trees before becoming dry to the extent that needles are falling and the color is fading. Contact your garbage disposal service to learn the details of their holiday tree removal program.

Cooking

Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S. When cooking for holiday visitors, remember to keep an eye on the range. If you must leave the kitchen while preparing food, set a timer or carry a pot holder to remind you that food is cooking.

Fireplaces

Fireplaces can offer a beautiful source of heat when they are cared for properly.

• Make certain that your fireplace is cleaned once a year to remove creosote.
• Always use a screen when using the fireplace to prevent sparks from entering your home.
• Burn only seasoned wood. Never burn wrapping paper, packing materials or other rubbish.
• Wait until the ashes are cool to remove them from the fireplace. Always dispose of them in a non-combustable container.