Holiday Fire Safety Tips

12/20/2021 (Permalink)

Beautiful Candlelight

During the holiday season, warm wishes, family time and good cheer come to mind, however, there are a few precautions that should be remembered because no one wants a reenactment of the infamous National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

Cooking

• In the U.S., most home fires and accidents are cause by unattended cooking.
• Anything that can catch fire must be kept away from the stove and it should be turned off when you leave the kitchen.
• At least three feet around the stove and hot food areas, create a “kid-free zone”.

Heaters

• Create a three feet zone for heating equipment such as furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves and portable space heaters.
• Turn off portable heaters when leaving the room or going to sleep.
• Never use an oven to heat your home. This is very dangerous and can lead to an electrical fire.

Christmas Trees

• U.S. fire departments annually respond to an average of 160 structure fires caused by Christmas trees. 44% of these fires are caused by electrical problems, and one in five resulted from a heat source that’s too close to the tree.
• Three feet zone rule which suggests that fireplaces, space heaters, radiators, candles and heat vents or lights should be followed for trees as well.  Make sure your tree is not blocking an exit.
• Before leaving the home or going to bed, always turn off Christmas tree lights.

Candles

• December is the high month for candle fires.
• Keep candles at least 12” away from anything that can burn, and blow candles out when you leave the room or go to bed.
• More than one third of home candle fires begin in the bedroom or in other areas where people may fall asleep.

Enjoy your holiday season safely!

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