Friday, December 08, 2017

By John Voket While festive decorations, flickering lights, candles and Christmas trees are hallmarks of the holiday season, they also present fire risks that can quickly turn devastating. That’s why the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) “Project Holiday” campaign has set out to educate the public about holiday fire risks.

According to the NFPA, every year between 2011 and 2015, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 200 home fires that started with Christmas trees. These incidents generated a whopping $14.8 million in direct property damage.  

NFPA found electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in about two out of every five (40 percent) Christmas tree fires, and more than one-third (37 percent) of those fires started in the living room, family room,
or den.  

All of the fatalities and roughly three-quarters (72 percent) of the injuries resulted from fires started in this area.
During that same period, fire departments responded to an average of 8,690 home fires caused by candles that generated $295 million in property damage. The top three days for home candle fires were Christmas, New
Year’s Day and New Year's Eve.

Lisa Braxton, Public Education Manager at (NFPA) recommends homeowners follow a few simple guidelines that can go a long way toward preventing a holiday season visit to your home by local firefighters:

Tree Safety
- Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched.
- Place the tree properly, cutting two inches from the base of the trunk and placing away from heat sources.
- Water daily!
- Choose the right lights to decorate.
- Remove tree after the holidays.

Candle Safety
- Keep candles at least a foot away from anything that can burn.
- Blow out all candles when you leave the room.
- Avoid the use of candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep.

Holiday Cooking
- Always keep your cooking area free of things that could catch on fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels.
- Remain in the home while cooking/baking.
- Keep children away from the cooking area.
- Be alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don’t use the stove or stovetop.

Learn more at http://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/By-topic/Seasonal-fires/Winter-holiday-safety.

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