Holiday Fire Safety tips from the Princeton Fire Department

From Thanksgiving to New Year, it’s time to enjoy our favorite holiday traditions, celebrating around the table, and making new memories with friends and family. To ensure that the festivities are both happy and safe, here are some useful holiday season fire safety tips from your Princeton Fire Department.

Holiday Lights

Ensure outside decorations are for outdoor use and fasten lights securely to your home or trees. If using hooks or nails outside, make sure they are insulated to avoid an electrocution or fire hazard. Check all holiday light cords to ensure they aren’t frayed or broken. Don’t string too many strands of lights together — no more than three per extension cord. Turn off all holiday lights when going to bed or leaving the house.

Christmas Trees

Princeton Fire Department and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) suggest several steps that you can take to reduce the risk of a Christmas tree fire in your home:

• Keep the tree well-watered. Make sure to check the water level in the stand daily.
• Make sure that the tree is at least three feet away from any heat source (e.g. space heaters, candles, fireplaces, heat vents, or lights).
• Make sure that the tree does not block an exit.
• Use decorative lights that have the label of a recognized testing laboratory. Make sure light bulbs, strings, and connections are not broken or damaged in any way.
• Always turn off tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.
• Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.
• Get rid of the tree when it is dry and keep it away from your home/garage.

Menorah or Kinara

Did you know that December is the peak month for home candle fires? If you’re decorating with candles this holiday season, consider using the battery-operated kind. It’s possible to buy electric menorahs and kinaras, but if you prefer traditional candles you can still celebrate Hanukkah and Kwanzaa in a fire smart way. Keep flammable items, including curtains and holiday decorations, at least three feet away from your candles. Place your menorah or kinara on a non-flammable surface to catch the melting candle wax, such as a tray lined with aluminum foil. Never leave lit candles unattended.

Fireplaces

Nothing takes the chill off winter holidays like the light and heat of a fire on your hearth. Just be sure to keep “fuel” – from wrapping paper to rugs to clothing – at least three feet away from the flames. Use a fire screen to keep embers and logs from escaping. Lastly, make sure all embers are fully extinguished before you turn in for the night. Don’t light the fireplace if hanging stockings on the mantel.

Fireworks

We usually talk about firework safety for the Fourth of July, but many New Year celebrations also include fireworks. Fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires each year, including 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires and nearly 17,000 other fires. The National Safety Council advises everyone to enjoy fireworks at public displays conducted by professionals, and not to use any fireworks at home. They may be legal in many places, but they are not safe.

Sparklers

Every year, young children can be found along parade routes and at festivals with sparklers in hand, but sparklers are a lot more dangerous than most people think. Sparklers burn at about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals. Sparklers can quickly ignite clothing, and children have received severe burns from dropping sparklers on their feet. According to the National Fire Protection Association, sparklers alone account for more than 25% of emergency room visits for fireworks injuries. For children under 5 years of age, sparklers accounted for nearly half of the total estimated injuries. Consider using safer alternatives, such as glow sticks, confetti poppers or colored streamers.

About the Princeton Fire Department

The Princeton Fire Department (PFD), located at 363 Witherspoon Street, is a combination career & volunteer department and was founded in 1788. Its mission is to serve, protect and educate the citizens of our community in an effort to enhance safety and minimize the loss of life and property resulting from fire and/or other emergency situations that PFD can act to mitigate.

The department is currently seeking candidates to join its Class of 2022 training program. Princeton residents 16 and older can visit princetonnj.gov/joinpfd for more information or email PFDrecruit@princetonnj.gov. No prior experience is necessary. Volunteer opportunities are designed to adapt to your busy schedule with minimal disruption. Now is the perfect time to join the Princeton Fire Department, receive free training, and be prepared to help protect your community.