[E-updates] Holiday season safety tips from City of Lawrence Fire Marshal

[Lisa Patterson]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2002
CONTACT:	Rich Barr, Fire Marshal
(785) 832-3174

Holiday season safety tips from City of Lawrence Fire Marshal

(LAWRENCE, KS) - The City of Lawrence Fire Marshal, Rich Barr, would like to
remind citizens that this holiday season should be merry and bright and
safe. Avoiding hazards such as dried out Christmas trees, unsafe lights and
unattended burning candles could prevent many injuries.

"Sometimes people are enjoying the holiday festivities and forget to
extinguish candles," said Rich Barr, City of Lawrence fire marshal.  "Never
leave a candle burning when you go to bed or leave the room.  Always place
candles away from curtains and other flammable materials."

The following safety tips will help you and your family avoid injuries such
as falls, cuts and shocks related to holiday lights, decorations and
Christmas trees.

Trees:
When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant."
This label means the tree will resist burning and should extinguish quickly.
It does not mean the tree will not catch fire.

When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green,
needles are hard to pull from branches and do not break when bent between
your fingers. The truck butt of a fresh tree is sticky with resin and when
tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles.

When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces and radiators.
Because heated rooms rapidly dry out live trees, be sure to keep the stand
filled with water. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block
doorways.

Lights:
Indoors and outside, use only lights that have been tested for safety by a
recognizes testing laboratory, which indicates conformance with safety
standards. Use only lights that have fused plugs.

Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed
or bare wires, or loose connections and throw out damaged sets. Always
replace burned-out bulbs promptly with the same wattage bulbs.

Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension
cord. Make sure the extension cord is rated for intended use.

Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. Faulty lights present the risk
of electrocution.

Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been
certified for outdoor use.

Fasten outdoor lights securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports
to protect the lights from wind damage. Hooks are the preferred way to
string lights or use insulated staples not nails or tacks.

Turn off all holiday lights when you go to bed or leave the house.

Outdoor electric lights and decorations should be plugged into circuits
protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).

Decorations:
Use only non-combustible or flame resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose
tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded metals. 

Never use candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use
non-flammable holders and place candles where they will not be knocked down.

In homes with small children, avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable.
Keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children and
avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food.

Fireplaces:
Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. 

Do not burn Christmas trees in the fireplace.

-END- 


_____________________________
Lisa K. Patterson
Communications Coordinator
City of Lawrence
PO Box 708
Lawrence, KS 66044
(785) 832-3406
fax (785) 832-3405
lpatterson@ci.lawrence.ks.us
http://www.lawrenceks.org