State Fire Marshal urges fire safety this holiday season
As the holiday season gets into full swing with colorful decorations, dazzling lights and festive gatherings, the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal (SFM) reminds Ohioans that paying careful attention is key to ensuring the season stays merry, bright and safe.
The Fire Marshal’s Office has created a set of advice and guidelines for consumers to easily follow as they transform their homes and businesses into winter wonderlands.
Decorations increase the risk of a fire and when improperly used can turn this festive time of year into a tragic one. Last year in Ohio, there were 209 fires reported on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, U.S. fire departments respond to an estimated average of 835 home structure fires per year that begin with decorations, not including Christmas trees. These fires cause an annual average of three fire deaths, 30 fire injuries, and $14 million in property damage. In addition, nearly one out of every five Christmas tree fires are started by lamps or bulbs, and 11 percent are started by candles.
“The holidays are a time for celebration, but all Ohioans need to be diligent when it comes to fire safety,” said State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon. “When decorating, simple safety steps can help you eliminate fire risks in your home and ensure your holiday is a safe and enjoyable one for everyone.”
To safely deck the halls, SFM offers the following fire-safety tips:
• Shine bright with LED lights. For both fresh and artificial trees, LED lights are a safer option than traditional incandescent holiday lights as they use 75-90-percent less electricity and produce less heat.
• Inspect your lights. Each year, take a moment to closely check light strands for frayed or pinched wires and discard any damaged sets. Ensure your lights have been tested by a recognized laboratory like Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Verify this by looking for the UL mark on the product or its packaging.
• Be cautious with outdoor lights. When decorating outdoors, only use lights designed for outdoor use, secure them properly, and connect them to a ground fault interrupter circuit.
• Enjoy circuit-savvy celebrations. To avoid overloading electrical circuits, do not connect too many light sets together and avoid using frayed or cracked extension cords.
• Have silent nights with unplugged lights. Always make sure to turn off lights and other electrical decorations when you go to bed or leave the house.
• Tend to your Tannenbaum. Ensure live Christmas trees stay fresh by making a new cut at the bottom of the trunk and watering them daily. This will help to avoid the trees drying out, which is important because dry trees can burn very hot and very fast. In addition, make sure trees are in a secure base, and dispose of a tree promptly once it becomes dry.
• Use candles with care. Consider using battery-operated candles this season. If using real candles, make sure they are in stable holders and located away from all flammable materials.
• Think three feet of safety. Make sure trees and decorations are located at least three feet away from all heating sources like fireplaces, radiators, space heaters, candles or heating vents.
Cooking and family gatherings are common during holiday celebrations. With the kitchen often becoming the hub of activity, cooking safety is critical. Except for Thanksgiving Day, more cooking fires occur on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve than any other day during the year.
SFM encourages everyone to follow some basic safety tips to help minimize the risk of cooking fires and injuries during the Christmas season:
• Never leave cooking food unattended. Always stay in the general location where food is being cooked. In addition, use timers to remind yourself of food that may be on the stove or in the oven.
• Keep kids and pets away from cooking areas. While playing, ensure young children and pets maintain a safe distance of at least three feet from indoor and outdoor cooking areas.
• Use this as a teachable moment. Consider involving your children in the cooking process while also teaching them how to do so safely.
• Keep flammable materials away from heat sources. Paper towels, napkins and other combustibles should be stored safely away from heat sources, such as stoves, air and oil fryers, and grills.
• Have a fire extinguisher ready. In addition to having an extinguisher on hand, make sure you understand how to use it if needed. If a fire becomes unmanageable, evacuate your home immediately and call 911.
Before hosting friends and family this holiday season, one of the most important steps Ohioans can take is to make sure their homes have properly working smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. Using a combination of these alarms will help keep you and your family safe, especially during the busy holiday season.
When a home has working smoke alarms, the risk of dying in a home fire is reduced by nearly 60 percent, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Smoke alarms do not prevent fires from happening, but they give individuals extra time to get out of the home in the event of a fire.
To help ensure Ohioans enjoy a safe holiday season, SFM also partnered with AEP Ohio to highlight important reminders on cooking safety, decoration safety and other fire prevention tips. Learn more at https://www.aepohiowire.com/tis-the-season-holiday-cooking-and-decorati….
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