Holiday Decorations Pose Home Fire Risks

From Bureau Chief Jim French, Lisle-Woodridge Fire District Fire Prevention Bureau. Photo via shutterstock.

The lights, candles and parties that make Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve festive also create special risks of home fires. The Lisle-Woodridge Fire District asks you to take steps to make sure your home is fire safe for the holidays.

Party Safety – Use flame-retardant or non-combustible materials for costumes and decorations. Provide smokers with large, deep, non-tip ashtrays, and keep an eye on anyone who is drinking and smoking. Empty ashtrays often and wet their contents before dumping them. After the party, check cushions and furniture for smoldering cigarette butts. Supervise children and keep them away from matches, lighters and candles.

Decorative Lights – Use lights that bear the UL label. Throw away sets of lights that have cracked or frayed cords or loose or damaged sockets. Don’t overload electrical outlets or run extension cords under carpets, across doorways, or near heaters. Do not install lights in any way that can damage the cord’s wire insulation (use clips not staples or nails). Be sure extension cords aren’t pinched behind or under furniture, and unplug all decorative lights before leaving your home or going to bed. Never use electric lights on a metal Christmas tree.

Candles – Put candles securely in non-tip candle holders that can withstand the heat. Keep candles well away from Christmas trees, decorations, curtains, and other combustibles, and never put candles in windows or near exits. Don’t leave candles burning unattended or within the reach of small children, and blow them out before you leave the room or go to sleep.

Christmas Trees – Cut your own tree or buy a fresh one that’s not shedding its needles. Cut the trunk at an angle and install the tree in a large, deep non-tip stand well away from fireplaces, exits, and heat sources. Be sure your tree has a constant supply of water and check the level daily. If your tree dries out, remove it promptly and store it away from your home until you can dispose of it. If you use an artificial tree, be sure it’s flame-retardant.

Space Heaters – Keep all space heaters and portable heaters at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn such as newspapers, furniture, and even walls. Use the right fuel for liquid-fuel heaters, be sure they are vented properly, and only refill them when they’re cool and in well-ventilated areas.

Central Heating – Have furnace installations and all chimneys inspected once a year (before heating season begins) and cleaned as appropriate or whenever you suspect a problem.

Fireplaces – Keep fireplace fires small, and use a fireplace screen or doors to prevent sparks from flying into the room. Don’t leave children alone in a room with a fireplace fire and never burn trash or paper in a fireplace. Discard ashes in a metal container and don’t store ashes in or near your house. Jim French, Fire Prevention Chief warns, “Make absolutely sure that hot ashes have completely cooled or are soaking wet before disposing them. We have fires every year during heating season due to hot ashes being disposed of improperly. “

Fireworks – The fireworks that mark the celebrations of the Fourth of July, Chinese New Year, New Year’s Eve, and Mardi Gras are dangerous explosive devises that should never be used by amateurs. Each year thousands of people, many of them children, are burned, blinded, and disfigured by fireworks. “The lesson is simple,” says Bureau Chief French, “Leave fireworks to the professionals. Teach kids to tell an adult if they find fireworks. It’s too risky to pick them up – especially if they’re smoking, charred, or appear to have been lit. Sparklers may seem harmless, but they aren’t toys. A burning sparkler can reach temperatures of 1200 degrees and stay hot long after it’s burned out.”

Holiday Entertaining – Unattended cooking is a leading cause of home fires. When cooking for holiday visitors, do not leave burners on if you leave the stove area even to answer the door. Do not wear loose fitting clothing. Always turn pot handles in. Don’t store items on the stove top, they could catch fire. Keep kitchen appliances clean and in good condition and turn them off after use. Be sure children stay away from hot appliances and cooking surfaces.

All Year Long – Make sure you have working smoke detectors on every level of your home. Develop and practice a home escape plan that includes two exits from every room and a meeting place outside of your home.

The Lisle-Woodridge Fire District encourages all residents to follow these tips and have a safe, enjoyable holiday season.

For more information on this or any other fire prevention issue, visit the fire district website.