Decorations are up, gifts are wrapped, turkeys and hams are biding their time in the freezers. While most people are looking forward to having a nice holiday with their families, the Estevan Fire Rescue Service (EFRS) reminds everyone that to be merry, holidays also need to remain safe.
In the run up to the holidays, Estevan Fire Chief Dale Feser is sharing some safety tips with the Mercury readers.
"On behalf of everybody at the Estevan fire department, we want to wish everybody a very merry Christmas and here are some tips to make sure that everybody gets to enjoy a safe holiday season," Feser said.
To protect the family from unexpected emergencies, it's important to go through the precautions below.
1. Inspect electrical decorations for damage before use. Cracked or damaged sockets, loose or bare wires, and loose connections may cause a serious shock or start a fire.
2. Do not overload electrical outlets. Overloaded electrical outlets and faulty wires are a common cause of holiday fires. Avoid overloading outlets and plug only one high-wattage appliance into each outlet at a time.
3. Never connect more than three strings of incandescent lights. More than three strands may not only blow a fuse, but can also cause a fire.
4. Keep the Christmas tree fresh by watering daily. Dry trees are a serious fire hazard.
5. Use battery-operated candles. Candles start almost half of home decoration fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
6. Keep combustibles at least three feet from heat sources. A heat source that was too close to the decoration was a factor in half of home fires that began with decorations. (NFPA).
7. Protect cords from damage. To avoid shock or fire hazards, cords should never be pinched by furniture, forced into small spaces such as doors or windows, placed under rugs, located near heat sources or attached by nails or staples.
8. Check decorations for certification label. Decorations not bearing a label from an independent testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or Intertek (ETL) have not been tested for safety and could be hazardous.
9. Stay in the kitchen when something is cooking. Unattended cooking equipment is the leading cause of home cooking fires (NFPA).
10. Turn off, unplug, and extinguish all decorations when going to sleep or leaving the house. Unattended candles are the cause of one in five home candle fires. Half of home fire deaths occur between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. (NFPA).
More than one of every four home Christmas tree fires is caused by electrical problems, according to NFPA. Although Christmas tree fires are not common, when they do occur, they are more likely to be serious. A heat source too close to the tree causes one in every four fires.
When picking a Christmas tree, it's important to choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched. Before placing the tree in the stand, people should cut two inches from the base of the trunk and then make sure the tree is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights, and isn't blocking an exit.
People should add water to the tree stand daily. When lighting the tree, use lights that have the label of a recognized testing laboratory and never use lit candles to decorate the tree. When it comes to lights on the Christmas tree, the same instructions should be followed as with the rest of the decorations.
After Christmas or when the tree gets dry, get rid of it, as dried-out trees are a fire danger and should not be left in the home or garage, or placed outside against the home. In Estevan, Green for Life (GFL) Environmental usually sets up a dumpster by the cemetery after the holiday season that's strictly for Christmas trees.
More than one-third of home decoration fires are started by candles and more than two of every five decoration fires happen because decorations are placed too close to a heat source.
Below is some advice when it comes to holiday decorations and entertainment.
Firefighters remind the public to always be careful with holiday decorations and choose those that are flame resistant or flame retardant.
People are also asked to keep lit candles away from decorations and other things that can burn. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use, but not both. Any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections should be replaced. People also should read the manufacturer's instructions for number of light strands to connect.
Use clips, not nails, to hang lights so the cords do not get damaged. Keep decorations away from windows and doors. When it comes to any kind of holiday entertainment it's important to test smoke alarms and tell guests about the home fire escape plan. Children and pets should be kept away from lit candles, and matches and lighters have to be up high in a locked cabinet. People are also asked to stay in the kitchen when cooking on the stovetop, and smokers should smoke outside, and then properly discard smoking materials.
Before heading out, leaving the room or going to bed people are reminded to always blow out lit candles and also turn off all light strings and decorations.
Also, people should bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and make them last longer.
