Put a Freeze on Winter Holiday Fires
Traditionally, the winter holidays are a time for families and friends to get together. It’s fun to decorate for the winter holidays and cook special meals, but holiday decorations and cooking can increase your risk for a home fire. As you deck the halls this season or fix a festive meal.
Be careful with your holiday decorations. Make sure they don’t block windows and doors. Additionally, following a few simple tips can help make your holidays fire-safe.
- Water your live Christmas tree every day. A dry tree is a fire hazard. Trees too close to a heat source cause one in every four winter fires.
- Make sure you are using the right lights. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
- Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections.
- Keep lit candles away from decorations and things that can burn. More than 1/3 of home decoration fires are started by candles. Consider using flameless candles, they look very similar and are safer.
- Blow out lit candles and turn off all light strings and decorations when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Cooking is the main cause of home fires and injuries no matter the season. From frying a turkey to making pies, be sure to follow these tips to prevent cooking fires.
- Stand by your pan – if you leave your kitchen, turn the burner off.
- Watch what you’re cooking. If you see any smoke, or grease starts to boil, turn the burner off.
- Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove to prevent them being bumped or pulled over.
- Keep a pan lid or baking sheet nearby to put out pan fires.
