With the holidays coming up, what are some of the top fire hazards that happen this time of year?
Cooking fires are a very real thing that happen this time of year. Around Thanksgiving, about 5,200 fires occur and cause more than $20 million in property damage. With all the cooking that happens, we just want people to be focused and aware of what they’re doing in the kitchen.
Has there been a Thanksgiving season you’ve worked in fire protection where you haven’t seen an exploding frying turkey fire?
That’s the big worry, but not all turkey fryers explode. It is important to use safety precaution when frying a turkey; keep an extinguisher handy, make sure the bird is thawed and dry. It’s a very popular way to cook turkeys – do it outside and away from combustibles and have your fire extinguisher handy.
How many fires do you cover over a holiday season?
It varies by district. Candles are popular during holiday season, and there’s twice as many candle fires nationwide in December than the other months. People forget to blow them out, burn them too close to combustibles or drapes. It’s generally carelessness that happens to cause these fires.
What are some things people can do to decrease these risks?
General home fire safety should be a priority all the time, but with the increased fire hazards this time of year with cooking, candles, Christmas lights, trees, we want to make sure we don’t overuse extension cords and that we have fire extinguishers and smoke detectors in the home. The O’Fallon Fire District recommends homes have a minimum of one smoke detector on each floor and one in each sleeping area. We want to have working carbon monoxide alarms in the home. We want to test and make sure the smoke detectors work. And we want to have a home fire escape plan in the event of an emergency that we talk about and practice with our family. If you practice how you’ll act in an emergency, there’s a higher probability that’s how you’ll behave in a real emergency.
Do you get a lot of decoration/tree fires?
Electrical fires are definitely pronounced during the holiday season due to overloading extension cords and overloading too many lights into one outlet. Bringing a live tree into your house is a popular thing to do, but it needs to be done with care. You’ve brought in very combustible material. If you notice that your tree starts to drop its needles in great quantities, it’s time to remove it from the house.
What are some of the hazards associated with using fireplaces and space heaters?
Fireplace safety starts with burning appropriate materials in the fireplace. It’s not the place to burn garbage or charcoal. Burn seasoned firewood in quantities that are appropriate for the size of the fireplace. We want to make sure we have a screen on the fireplace and a fireproof mat on the floor. We want to make sure we have the chimney inspected and cleaned by a professional and make sure there’s a spark arrester on the chimney on the roof.
A lot of people use space heaters to help heat their home. They are effective as long as you don’t leave them unattended. Turn the space heater off if you leave the room. Do not plug the space heater into an extension cord. And keep them away from combustibles – at least three feet away from drapes, blankets, any combustible materials. Space heater fires are common and can be deadly.
Where can people go to learn more about fire safety?
If you want to learn more, check out your local fire protection district’s web page. There’s a lot of information there on fire safety. You can also go to the NFPA – National Fire Protection Association website – they have lots of tips to maintain safety in your house for you and your family.