NAS Corpus Christi F&ES Christmas Safety As Thanksgiving has passed we begin thinking about the desire to decorate for Christmas. Whats a holiday party or even the traditional Christmas morning scene itself without a beautifully decorated tree? If your household, as those of more than 33 million other American homes, includes a natural tree in its festivities, take to heart the sales persons suggestion—Keep the tree watered. Thats good advice and not just to create a fragrant indoor winter wonderland atmosphere. Christmas trees account for 200 fires annually, resulting in 6 deaths, 25 injuries and more than $6 million in property damage. Typically shorts in electrical lights or open flames from candles, lighters or matches start tree fires. Well-watered trees are not a problem. Dry and neglected trees can be. This advice from the United States Fire Administration is echoed by Chief Morris of the NASCC Fire Department – “as we enter this traditionally dangerous time of year Christmas decorations, natural trees and candles coupled with the potential for cold weather increase the risk of household fires. There are some sobering statistics that include that real and artificial Christmas trees are the first items ignited in an estimated 210 home fires annually, according to the most recent NFPA statistics. Additionally Christmas Day has the highest number of fires started by candles, though in an average year there are 15,600 home structure fires caused by candles reported to local fire departments. These fires caused an estimated 150 deaths, 1,270 injuries and $539 million in direct property damage. Couple this with increased use of space heaters and fireplaces for supplementary heating and your individual risk profile increases” Chief Morris recommends that if you put up your Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving, it needs to be taken down the week after Christmas. After New Year’s, even well-watered trees can become a fire hazard.” While the tree is up consumers need to commit to taking care of a fresh tree, and keep flame sources away from plastic trees, to reduce the risk of their tree being involved in a home fire. Because of this high risk, UL and the NFPA urge people to practice a few safety precautions before, during and after their celebrations. • Regularly check your tree for fresh, green needles. Trees that have dried out over several weeks burn faster than fresh, well-watered trees. Remember to keep your tree watered at all times. • Always keep candles, as well as matches and lighters, out of the reach of children, and dont leave children unattended in a room with lit candles. • Look for the holographic UL Mark on light strings and electrical decorations. The UL Mark means that UL engineers have tested samples of the product for safety hazards. o Green holographic UL Mark = Indoor-only use o Red holographic UL Mark = Indoor and outdoor use • Carefully inspect each electrical decoration - new or old - before plugging it in. Cracked sockets, frayed, bare or loose wires can cause a serious electric shock or start a fire. Replace damaged items with new, UL-Listed decorations. • Take down holiday lights after 90 days of use to prevent damage from weather conditions and neighborhood animals.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 21:11:19 +0000