Having a Safe Christmas Season
Everybody loves Christmas time. But even more so, we all appreciate a safe Christmas season. Every year the number of reported fire incidents rises during the holiday seasons. These fires cause devastating damage to property structures and far worse, physical injuries and death. It is important to learn as much as you can about potential fire hazards in your own home. The more you know about safety, the safer you will be. This article gives you a number of useful simple safety procedures you can do to help ensure a safe holiday season for you and your family.
Water your real Christmas tree daily to prevent it from becoming dry. A dry tree is a fire hazard because it can easily catch on fire. A tree which is watered properly as instructed by your local Christmas tree farm, is the safest kind of tree you can have. A watered tree is also called a wet tree. A wet tree retains moisture throughout the needles, branches and the trunk and therefore provides a natural fire barrier. In a study by the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology), 7 of 8 Scotch Pines were not watered for 3 weeks, and the 8th one was. Each of the 7 trees was quickly consumed by fire which started with the flame of a single match. The 8th tree did not ignite until a blow torch was used. Even then the flame self extinguished when the blow torch was removed away from the tree. You can view the report here. The report goes on to show that there is a drastic decrease in the moisture level in the dry tree but very little in the properly watered tree. Keep your tree watered.
Dispose of your tree when it becomes dry. You can tell when a tree becomes dry when the needles easily pull off the branches and the color turns brown. A dry tree is a fire hazard. These dry needles are also fire hazards. If you have questions regarding how to dispose of your tree, contact your local recycling pick up service and they will be glad to assist you.
Keep your tree, regardless of size or type, away from any heat sources. This includes radiators, kitchen stoves, heaters, and even heating vents. These heat sources produce very high temperatures which can lead to fire if they come in contact with flammable objects such trees, wreaths and other Christmas decorations. Heat sources also cause Christmas trees to dry out at a quicker pace. And as noted above, a dry tree is not a safe tree. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, 26% of fires from 2003-2007 were caused by a heat source being too close to a tree.
Turn off and unplug the Christmas lights before you go to bed. The lights on decorations heat up and can cause a fire hazard when in contact with certain materials and objects. Be safe and unplug at night.
Keep all ornaments and lights out of the reach of young children. These objects are a serious choking hazard. At this age, the desire to “taste” one of your ornaments or lights is too great a temptation to risk. Therefore, do not put ornaments, decorations or lights anywhere on the tree or in the room which is within the grasp of a child.
Keep wrapping supplies such as scissors and ribbons away from children. Any type of sharp object should always be kept out of reach of children. Ribbons can cause accidental strangulation and should also be kept a good distance away.
When cooking, never leave the kitchen with the stove still on. It is important to remember to be mindful of all potential fire hazards, not just those related to Christmas materials. Incidents of cooking fires reported to U.S. Fire departments increase during each holiday season. Simply turn off the stove when you leave the room and turn it back on when you return.
Keep flammable objects such as napkins, paper towels, oven mitts, and pot holders away from the stovetop. These objects can easily start to burn and catch on fire from the intense constant heat of a hot stove. Play it safe and keep them accessible in areas away from the stove.
Use Christmas lights correctly and safely. Indoor lights should only be used inside the house and not outside. The bulbs and the wire casing are not durable enough to handle the handle the outdoor elements such as wind, rain, or snow. Likewise outdoor lights should never be used indoors on trees or other decorative objects such as wreaths, garland and the like. Outdoor lights use more electricity and give off greater heat which can create a fire hazard. Heed the warnings on all labels. Some holiday lights instructions advise you to wash your hands after touching due to the lead in the PVC which is used in many wire casings as reported by Consumer Reports.
Always check for broken bulbs and frayed or exposed wires on your string of lights. If they cannot be repaired, buy new ones. The Consumer Reports also advises on their website to, “Discard light sets that have been used more than three seasons.”
Extinguish any candles when you leave the room and certainly keep them out of reach of children. The National Fire Protection Agency reported the highest number of candle fires occur on major holidays such as Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Years Eve and New Year’s Day.
Make sure all your smoke alarms are working. Be sure to change the batteries annually.
Having a safe Christmas involves taking the time to learn about the potential fire hazards in your home. The more you know, the more you will understand the steps you can take to prevent a fire from occurring. Do what you can, starting today, to ensure a happy and safe Christmas holiday!
Author Bio: Elizabeth Krause lives in Central Virginia with her husband Frank and 14 year old cat. She thanks her husband for introducing her to the joy of cooking. When they were first married, the only thing she could cook for dinner was chicken fajitas. Over time her husband taught her simple Italian cooking< techniques and now she is starting a collection of her family recipes. This Christmas season she hopes to prepare an Italian dish representative of their Italian culture. Her favorite gifts are Italian food gift baskets because she loves Italian food and cheeses. Despite the fun of giving and receiving gifts, she tries to encourage others to never forget the true meaning of Christmas and the greatest gift ever given to man. She wishes everyone a joyful and meaningful Christmas season.