Many residents have stopped by their local fire stations to ask what fire safety precautions firefighters recommend during the holiday season. As always, your local firefighters care about your safety and want to make sure that your family and your home are safe.
According to statistics provided by the American Red Cross, approximately 47,000 fires occur during the winter holidays. These fires claim more than 500 lives, cause more than 2,200 injuries, and cost more than $500 million in property damage.
There are a few simple steps that you and your family can take during the holiday season to protect your family and your home from the devastating effects of a fire.
Above all, make sure that your home has working smoke detectors. It has been proven repeatedly that smoke detectors save lives! Simply put, the risk of dying in a residential home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms. The alarm will warn you and your family of danger and will provide critical early warning of the fire and allow for additional time to escape before smoke and flames obstruct your exit route.
If you use candles to brighten your home during the holidays, always extinguish them before leaving the room or going to sleep. Use candle holders that are sturdy and are designed to not tip over easily. Put candle holders on an uncluttered surface and at least a foot away from all other items that may catch fire. Do not let a candle burn all the way down. Extinguish the flame before it gets too close to the end. Remember, while candles are pretty and add a sense of holiday warmth and cheer to your home, they are dangerous and must be treated with respect and caution.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that December is the peak time of year for residential fires that are caused by candles and that approximately one-third of all home candle fires started in the bedroom. In addition, more than half of all home candle fires started when the candle was placed too close to things that can easily catch fire and burn. The United States Fire Administration (USFA) reports that candle fires are four times as likely to occur during the winter holidays and an average of 40 home fires per day are caused by children playing with candles.
If you celebrate the holidays with a real tree, check to make sure that it has fresh, green needles that do not easily break or fall off when you touch them. Keep the tree as moist and wet as possible by watering it daily and only use a sturdy tree stand that is designed to remain upright and not tip over. Check to make sure the tree does not block or impede your rapid and safe escape from a room. While live holiday trees provide us with a wonderful sense of holiday spirit, they can be dangerous and must be treated with care. The NFPA reports that on average, one of every 22 home fires that was started by a Christmas tree catching fire resulted in death.
If you use holiday lights, make sure that all of the lights and other holiday electrical decorations are in good condition. Do not use anything with frayed electrical cords, loose connections, or exposed wires. Remember to unplug lights before leaving home or going to sleep. According to the USFA, there are approximately 48,000 thousand electrical fires each year and almost half of them occur during the winter holiday season. Deaths from these types of electrical fires typically increase and peak between midnight and 6 a.m., when many people are sleeping.
Your local firefighters encourage all residents to follow these simple tips to have a safe and enjoyable holiday season. In addition, please test your smoke detectors monthly, replace the batteries at least once a year, and replace all of your detectors every 10 years. When the smoke detectors sound the alarm, leave the home immediately, call 911 from outside the home using a cellphone or neighbor’s phone, meet your family at a prearranged meeting place, and verify that everyone is accounted for.
This column was written by Jane Perkins, Fire Safety Specialist for the Rhode Island Southern Firefighters League and captain of the Watch Hill Fire Department. If you would like to see a question answered in this column, please e-mail her at askafirefighter@yahoo.com.