Christmas Has 12 Days, 12 Hazards

December ranks first among all months in fire-related insurance claims, according to figures released by State Farm Insurance Company.  California ranks fourth nationally in Christmas Day fire damage claims. 

State Farm has assembled a dirty dozen of fire hazards to watch for during the holidays;  I've added comments from the Red Cross and Cal Fire, too.

1. "Cooking Calamities."  The number one cause of cooking fires is unattended cooking, according to State Farm's records.  Christmas fire damage is exceeded only by Thanksgiving's.
2. Children Playing with Fire.  With lots of candles about for Christmas, children have increased access to fire, matches and lighters.  The Red Cross reminds you to keep kids away from space heaters.
3. Wrapping in the fireplace.  Cardboard from boxes, wrapping paper and especially wrapping tissues can cause flash fires that leap from the fireplace into the room.
4. Candlelit disaster.  According to State Farm, Christmas Day leads the year in candle-related fires.  Candles should be in stable holders and not left where it would be easy to knock one down.  Never leave home with candles burning, or you might come home with house burning.
5. Lights, camera, fire truck.  Frayed wires, bare spots or broken sockets in strings of holiday lights lead to fires.  State Farm advises turning off lights when away from home or going to bed.  Cal Fire encourages using lights with fuses, and the newer mini-styles instead of larger bulbs—"the older style burns much hotter," according to the Cal Fire Web site.
6. Phony Electronics.  Some Christmas electronics may be knockoffs made to much lower standards than the originals.  Christmas lights, according to State Farm, are "the perfect product for counterfeiting." 
7. Plugs a Plenty.  Overloaded electrical outlets are a significant fire risk.  The Red Cross also recommends that folks use generators correctly – never hook up a generator directly to the home's wiring. Instead, the equipment needed should plug into the outlets on the generator.
8. Cords Concealed.  Be it resolved that electrical cords should neither be bundled nor run under the rugs.
9. Oh, Christmas Tree, Oh, 9-1-1.  Don't let the real Christmas tree dry out—needles on fresh trees "should be green and hard to pull back from the branches," according to State Farm.  Give the tree water regularly.  Cal Fire advises that lights should never be hung on a metal Christmas tree—"The tree can become charged with electricity and shock someone. The tree can also short out the Christmas lights and cause a fire."
10. Space heaters.  Heating systems are second only to cooking in producing Christmas fires.  State Farm recommends three feet of cleared space around any space heater, and keeping any space heater on the floor unless it designed otherwise.  The Red Cross says that drying clothes on a space heater is dangerous.
11. Unswept Chimney.  Burning firewood builds up creosote on the lining of the chimney; it's "highly combustible," and it's considered bad form to let the chestnut roasting include the roof. 
12. Remember Your Embers.  Embers that fall below the fireplace logs should be collected and cooled before they are thrown in the trash.