Holiday Fire Safety

‘Tis the Season to Be Safe

Home fires during the holidays account for 1,650 injuries and over $900 million in damage each year.

This is the season for eating and drinking and gift giving and tree decorating and more eating. Thanksgiving and Christmas have the odds stacked against them in terms of fire danger and the statistics back-up those odds. If this sounds like deja vous, so be it: Just a little common sense and a few precautions can re-stack those odds in your favor. Follow all the tips for kitchen safety, candle safety, heating appliances and fireplaces as well as tips on avoiding electrical fires and you’ll be on your way to a safe and happy holiday.

Thanksgiving Cooking Safety

Being a nation of innovative pioneers, it was appropriate that Americans came up with some alarming ways to fry up the Thanksgiving turkey. Thankfully, special turkey-sized fryers are now available and should replace all those homemade contraptions. To prevent fires and other hazards, use the following precautions:

• Use these fryers outdoors in an open area away from walls, fences, tree and shrubbery and anything else that can catch on fire.
• Follow all the manufacturer’s instructions for use and safety.
• If you have to set up a portable TV in your driveway to catch the games, do so but don’t leave the turkey fryer unattended.
• Also, keep the fryer away from any source of moisture that can cause steam or splattering oil.
• If you’ve opted for roasting your turkey in the oven, resign yourself to staying home for the day. Do not leave the home while the oven is on.

Christmas Tree Safety

• Select a tree that has not dried out. Some indications of a healthy, safe tree are green needles that are hard to pull back from the branch, do not break and a trunk that feels sticky to the touch. One good test is to bounce the tree trunk on the ground. If there is a little bed of fallen needles around the tree, put it back and look for a fresher tree.
• Trees develop a sap that covers the bottom of the trunk after they are cut. To keep your tree green and healthy, cut off about two inches from the bottom of the trunk. This allows for better water absorption. Put the tree in a sturdy tree stand with a large water capacity. Keep that holder full throughout the time the tree is in the home.
• Do not put the tree near a heat source as this will dry it out quickly.
• Plan on keeping your tree up no longer than two weeks.
• When the season is over, the best way to dispose of the tree is to take it to a recycling center or have it hauled away by a pick-up service.
• Consider products like Tree Shield, described on our Fire Safety Products page. Tree Shield offers flame resistant protection for a tree up to 7-feet tall, is safe and easy to apply.

Christmas Lights Safety

• Inspect your holiday lights for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets or excessive kinking or wear before you put them up.
• Do not link more than three strings of lights unless directions indicate it is safe.
• Check the cords periodically to make sure they are not warm.
• Turn the lights off when you leave the house or go to bed.
• Keep an eye on small children and pets around the tree, especially when the lights are on.

More Safety Tips

• Do not use candles on a Christmas tree or as part of decorations that use live pine boughs. In fact, try to use only non-flammable or flame-retardant decorations and place them away from heat sources or vents.
• Do not dispose of wrapping paper in a fireplace or wood burning stove.
• If rowdy holiday parties are part of your tradition, do a thorough check of the living area after the guests have left.

Tagged as: Holidays