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. 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.

Holiday Decorating

Preventing Christmas Tree Fires

• Christmas Tree Fire Hazards - See a movie segment demostrating how fast a live Christmas tree can become fully engulfed in flames (provided by the United States Fire Administration). 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. Click here to download movie.
• Selecting a Tree for the Holidays - 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 needes 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. 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

• Inspect 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. Always unplug lights before replacing light bulbs or fuses.
• Purchasing Lights - Purchase only lights and electrical decorations bearing the name of an independent testing lab.
• Do Not Overload Electrical Outlets or Extension Cords - Check your strands of lights to determine the number of strands that may be connected. Connect no more than three strands of push-in bulbs and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs, unless the decorations indicate it is safe. Make sure to periodically check the wires - they should not be warm to the touch.
• Mounting Lights - Do not mount lights in any way that can damage the cord's wire insualation (i.e., using clips, not nails or staples). Keep children and pets away from light strings and electrical decorations.
• Do Not Leave Holiday Lights on Unattended

Holiday Decorations

• Use Only Nonflammable Decorations - Whenever possible, choose decorations made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant or non-combustible materials.
• 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.
• Artifical 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 or Near Decorations - Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials, and do not use candles to decorate a Christmas tree.

Holiday Entertaining

• 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 smoke, smoke outside.
• Wherever you smoke, provide plenty of large, deep sturdy ashtrays and check them frequently. Cigarette butts can smolder in the trash and cause a fire so completely douse cigarette butts with water before discarding.
• After a party, always check on, between and under upholstery and cushions and inside trash cans for cigarette butts that may be smoldering.
• Keep matches and lighters up high, out of sight and reach of children. When smokers visit your home, ask them to keep their smoking materials with them so young children do not touch them.
• Deep Fried Turkey Advisory from Underwriters Laboratories

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.

*Holiday Safety tips provided by the United States Fire Administration and the National Fire Protection Association.*