Holiday season is prime time for residential fires

  • Published
  • By Wright-Patterson AFB Fire Department
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Residential fires during the holiday season are more frequent, more costly and more deadly than at any other time of the year. There are more than double the numbers of open-flame fires on Christmas Day than on an average day, and about twice as many on New Year's Day.

And when those fires occur, they do more damage. Property loss during a holiday fire is 34 percent greater than in an average fire, and the number of fatalities per thousand fires is nearly 70 percent higher. When the source of the fire is a highly flammable Christmas tree, the toll in property and lives is even greater.

Each year, fire departments respond to an average of 210 structure fires caused by Christmas trees. Carefully decorating Christmas trees can   help make your holidays safer. Here are other important fire-safety tips for the holidays from the U.S. Fire Administration and National Fire Protection Association:

› If you have an artificial tree, be sure it is labeled, certified, or identified by the manufacturer as fire retardant.

› If you choose a cut tree pick one with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched.

› Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 1 inch to 2 inches from the base of the trunk.

› Make sure the tree is at least 3 feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights.

› Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit.

› Add water to the tree stand. Be sure to add water daily.

› Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both.

› Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini-string sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs. Read manufacturer's instructions for number of LED strands to connect.

› Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.

› Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.

Cooking

Cooking is the top cause of holiday fires, and the most common culprit of fires is food that's left unattended while being cooked. It's easy to get distracted; take a pot holder with you when you leave the kitchen as a reminder that you have something on the stove.

Make sure to keep a kitchen fire extinguisher that's rated for all types of fires and check that smoke detectors are working.

If you're planning to deep-fry your holiday turkey, do it outside, on a flat, level surface at least 10 feet from the house.

Candles

The frequency of candle   fires is four times higher during December than during other months of the year. To reduce the danger, maintain about a foot of space between the candle and anything that can burn.

Set candles on sturdy bases or cover with hurricane globes. Never leave flames unattended. Before bed, walk through each room to make sure candles are blown out.

For atmosphere without worry, consider flameless LED candles.

Fireplaces

Soot can harden on chimney walls as flammable creosote, so before the fireplace season begins, have your chimney inspected to see if it needs cleaning. Screen the fireplace to prevent embers from popping out onto the floor or carpet, and never use flammable liquids to start a fire in the fireplace. Only burn seasoned woods -- no wrapping paper.

When cleaning out the fireplace put embers in a metal container and set them outside to cool for 24 hours before disposal.