Occupational Health and Safety

Occupational Health and Safety  » Fire Safety for the Holidays

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 ½" off the base of

the tree and put it in a bucket of water for at least a day.

When you bring it inside make sure it's not by any heater vents.

Always keep the tree stand filled with water. Discard any broken

or frayed sets of lights when decorating the tree. Always turn

off lights on trees and other decorations when you go to bed or

leave your home. A short circuit in any of this equipment could

cause a fire. · When you string the lights on your tree be

careful to keep all bulbs turned away from gifts and paper

ornaments. Lights in windows can cause curtains and drapes to

ignite. Lit candles should never be placed on or near the

Christmas tree. When the tree starts to dry out, it's time to

throw it away.

Paper Dispose of gift-wrappings soon after opening presents.

Never put wrapping paper in a fireplace. It can throw off

dangers sparks and produce a chemical buildup in the home that

could d cause an explosion.

Space heaters: Keep portable heaters at least 2 feet away from

anything that can burn--including you. Don't use your heaters to

dry shoes or clothes.

Heating appliances: Remember to have your furnace inspected each

year by a licensed technician. Your fireplace chimney should

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also be cleaned and inspected annually to prevent problems that

may cause a build-up of carbon monoxide. A carbon monoxide

alarms will alert you to the presence of this deadly gas.

Smoke alarms: Over 90% of fire deaths occur in residential

dwellings between 11pm-6am when occupants are asleep. Alarms

should be installed on every level of your home and outside all

sleeping areas. Test your alarms regularly and change the

batteries at least once a year. Most fire departments promote

this practice during Fire Prevention week in October.

Home Escape Plan: If a fire does occur in your home, everyone

must get out as quickly as possible. Develop a fire escape plan

and practice it with your entire family. Have a single meeting

spot once everyone exits the house.

More home safety information can be found at

www.paccrestinspections.com

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About the author:

Rick Bunzel has 25 years experience as a firefighter in New

Jersey, California, Colorado and Washington. In addition to

being a member of Mt. Erie Volunteer Fire Department, he owns

Pacific Crest Inspections, a home inspection company in

Anacortes, Washington. He can be reached at 360-588-6956 or

Rick@paccrestinspections.com.