A Season for Sharing in Fire Safety



Each year fires occurring during the holiday season injure 2,600 individuals andcause over $930 million in damage. According to the United States FireAdministration (USFA), there are simple life-saving steps you can take toensure a safe and happy holiday. By following some of the outlinedprecautionary tips, individuals can greatly reduce their chances of becoming aholiday fire casualty.



Preventing Christmas Tree Fires


Christmas Tree Fire Hazards - Movie segments demonstrating how fast a live Christmas tree can become fully engulfed in flames. 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.

Selecting a Tree for the holiday-     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 needles 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. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. 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


Maintain Your 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. Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory.

Do Not Overload Electrical Outlets-  Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet. Make sure to periodically check the wires, they should not be warm to the touch.

Do Not Leave Holiday Lights on unattended