The holidays are approaching. Here are 24 safety tips, from lights to cooking to candles
As December approaches rapidly and the urge to hang up holiday decorations hits, here are some things that Southwest Florida residents need to keep in mind, courtesy of the Cape Coral Fire Department:
Holiday decoration safety tips
Choose holiday decorations carefully, using only those made of flame-resistant, flame-retardant, or non-combustible materials.
Keep decorations away from heat sources. Of the fires that began with decorations, nearly half occurred due to the decoration’s proximity to a heat source.
Keep decorations away from windows and doors that might be needed as a means of escape.
Holiday candle safety tips
Keep candles at least 12 inches away from decorations or other combustible materials. DID YOU KNOW? Two of every five home decoration fires are started by candles.
Never leave candles unattended. Extinguish them when you leave the room.
Use sturdy candle holders that won’t tip over.
Holiday lights safety tips
Use only lights listed by an independent testing laboratory and pay close attention to the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
Closely inspect all holiday lighting before use to ensure all wires, bulbs, and connections are in a safe condition. Discard any lights with exposed wires, broken insulation, cracked or missing bulbs, or other defects.
Use clips, not nails, to hang lights so the cords do not become damaged.
Turn off all light strings and decorations before leaving home or going to bed.
Christmas trees safety tips
Before purchasing an artificial tree, be sure it is identified by the manufacturer as fire-retardant.
When choosing a live Christmas tree, look for signs of freshness by lightly pulling branches through your closed fist. Fresh trees should retain their needles during this test.
Have the tree lot operator provide a “fresh cut” by removing 1 to 2 inches from the base of the trunk.
Immediately place the tree in water and add water daily. Keep a close check on the dryness of the tree and remove the tree when needles easily fall off.
Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit and is at least three feet away from any heat source like fireplaces, space heaters, radiators, candles, heat vents, or lights.
Holiday cooking safety tips
Unattended cooking is the leading cause of U.S. home fires and home fire injuries. After Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are the peak days for home cooking fires.
When frying, grilling, or broiling, stay in the kitchen. Keep anything that can catch fire away from the stovetop and turn off the stove when you leave the kitchen, even if it’s for a short period of time.
When simmering, boiling, baking, or roasting food, stay at home and check on it frequently; use a timer as a reminder if necessary.
Create a “kid-free zone” of at least three feet around the stove and areas where hot food and drinks are prepared or carried.
Smoking safety tips
Ask smokers to smoke outside.
Use large, deep ashtrays and wet cigarette butts with water before discarding.
Keep matches and lighters up high, away from children.
Ensure there is a working smoke alarm on each level of your home and practice fire escape plans with all family members and holiday guests.
'Keep the Wreath Green" fire safety campaign
Cape Coral Fire Department runs its “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign annually; Cape Coral firefighters place a wreath illuminated with green bulbs at Fire Station 4, 2007 Santa Barbara Boulevard.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Holiday safety tips address tree, lights, cooking and candles
