Fire Safety for the Holidays

Your guests have departed; the dishes are cleared away. Time to turn out the Christmas tree lights and go to bed. But is disaster lurking within your home? The first alert may be when the smoke alarm shrieks its warning at 4:00 a.m. If you don't have a working smoke alarm, you may not wake up at all. As a home inspector and firefighter with 20 years experience, I am often criticized for being picky about small, insignificant items such as poor wiring, lack of smoke detectors, fire stops and window sizing that really didn't mean very much. Well when fire strikes these items many times make these items make the difference between life and death. I have been to several Christmas Day fires including one where several people died and can tell you they do make the difference. According to statistics from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the number of fires and fire deaths typically rises sharply during the holiday season. Fires during the holiday season injure 2,000 people every year, and cause over $500 million in damages. Gatherings of family and friends can mean an increase in cooking activity, which is the leading cause of home fires. Alcohol consumption also tends to increase this time of year and is cited as a contributing factor in many of US fire deaths. Add candles, holiday decorations, fireplaces and heating equipment to the mix and the potential for disaster is great. You can protect your home and your family from fire with these simple, common sense safety tips: Cooking: Look while you cook--unattended cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires. Wear tight-fitting or rolled-up sleeves when cooking and keep all combustible materials a safe distance from the stove. Cooking or smoking while under the influence of alcohol can be deadly. Keep a close eye on any drinkers in your household and make sure all cigarettes are properly extinguished and the stove is off before going to bed. Candles: Keep candles in a sturdy holder away from children, pets and combustible materials. Snuff them out before leaving the room. Christmas trees: Nationwide we have had a drought and it's important that you make sure to buy a fresh tree. Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. When you get home cut