December 5, 2020 – In a year like 2020, it’s best to hope for the best. . but plan for the worst. And wouldn’t it just figure that this would be the year you might accidentally burn the house down with your cheerful holiday decorations?
According to the National Fire Protection Association, more than two of every five home decoration fires occur due to holiday decorations being placed too close to a heat source and more than half of home decoration fires in December are started by candles.
Candle fires peak in December followed closely by January. The top three days for home candle fires are Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve. Before you head to bed or out for the evening, extinguish all lit candles.
Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Perez says “Unfortunately, last year 15 lives were lost in fire-related incidents during the holiday season in Illinois.”
Here are some tips to keep in mind to stay fire safe when decking the halls this holiday season.
• Make sure decorations are either flame retardant or flame resistant.
• Keep lit candles at least 12 inches away from decorations or anything that can catch fire.
• Keep children and pets away from lit candles.
• Extinguish all lit candles before going to bed or leaving the house.
• Check to make sure your lights are rated for indoor or outdoor use or both.
• Replace any light strands that have worn or broken cords. Make sure to read the recommendation for the number of light strings you can string together.
• Turn off all light strings and decorations before leaving home or going to bed.
• If you have a real Christmas tree, make sure to check water levels daily! It is not unusual for a tree to drink two gallons of water the first day it is in the stand.
• Keep real Christmas trees away from a heat source. It can dry out the tree quickly.
Then there is your oven. After a busy cooking day on Thanksgiving, before firing the oven back up preparing the next holiday meal, make sure to clean it! In case of an oven fire, turn off the oven and keep the door closed until it is cool. Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, but Christmas and Christmas Eve follow closely behind.
