UNDATED, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — With the Christmas holiday quickly approaching, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is warning of potential Christmas fire hazards.
According to the NFPA, December is a leading month for home fires, with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day being two of the three highest fire risk days of the year, owing to cooking fires and candle-related fires.
As a result, NFPA officials are providing fire safety tips for citizens during the Christmas season.
“While the threat of fire does increase during the holiday season, there’s no need to let that put a damper on your holiday plans,” NFPA vice president of Outreach and Advocacy Lorraine Carli said. “Once you know where potential hazards exist, taking some simple steps to minimize them can help ensure a festive, fire-safe season.”
A condensed set of statistics can be viewed below:
- Decorations: Ensure that decorations are kept at least 3 feet away from heat sources, especially candles.
- Christmas trees: Christmas tree fires are not as common as fires started by other decorations, but when they do occur, they are much more likely to be serious. Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in more than two of every five (44 percent) home Christmas tree fires, with decorative lights the leading type of equipment involved.
- Cooking: Cooking is the leading cause of U.S. home fires year-round; unattended cooking is the leading cause of these fires, accounting for 31 percent of home cooking fires. Christmas Day is the second-leading day for home cooking fires, with 69 percent more fires than the average daily number. Christmas Eve is not far behind, with 58 percent more fires than the daily average.
- Heating: The leading factor contributing to home heating fires (27 percent) was failure to clean, principally from solid-fueled heating equipment, primarily chimneys. Most home heating fire deaths (86 percent) involved stationary or portable space heaters. In the majority of these deaths, something that could catch fire was too close to the heater.
With the acknoweldgment of these statistics, the NFPA is providing tips to keep in mind against all of these factors.
- Be careful with holiday decorations. Choose decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant.
- Keep lit candles away from decorations and other things that can burn.
- Test your smoke alarms and tell guests about your home fire escape plan.
- Keep children and pets away from lit candles.
- Keep matches and lighters up high in a locked cabinet.
- Stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stovetop.
- Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both.
- Make sure the tree is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights.
- Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit.
- Add water to the tree stand. Be sure to add water daily.
A full list of holiday fire safety tips can be viewed online at www.nfpa.org/holiday.
