Holiday hazards: How to be safe and festive this season
TAMPA, Fla. - It's the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also be a dangerous one too.
With all the extra decorations, cooking, and company, the holidays are full of potential hazards. It's why every year, first responders across the country remind folks about those possible dangers and how to be safe while also being festive.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, fire departments across the country responded to an average of 160 house fires between 2015 and 2019. The cause was from Christmas trees.
Those fires caused about an average of two deaths, 12 civilian injuries, and about $10 million in property damage every year. About three-quarters of Christmas tree fires occur during the holidays in December and January.
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Hillsborough County firefighters demonstrate what happens when a dry Christmas tree catches fire in a 2017 presentation. It took just ten seconds for the tree to be engulfed in flames. (FOX 13 / File)
When it comes to protecting yourself, your loved ones, and your home, the NFPA offered the following safety tips:
Picking the tree:
Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched.
Placing the tree:
Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 2" from the base of the trunk.
Make sure the tree is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights.
Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit.
Add water to the tree stand. Be sure to add water daily.
Lighting the tree:
Use lights that have the label of a recognized testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use.
Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Read manufacturer’s instructions for number of light strands to connect.
Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.
Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.
Post-Christmas:
Get rid of the tree after Christmas or when it is dry.
Dried-out trees are a fire danger and should not be left in the home or garage, or placed outside against the home.
Check with your local community to find a recycling program.
Bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and make them last longer
The NFPA reported that fire departments across the country responded to an estimated average of 790 home fires per year that began with decorations between 2015 and 2019. This statistic does not include Christmas trees. It resulted in an annual average of one civilian fire death, 26 civilian fire injuries and $13 million in direct property damage.
"Year-round, more than one-third of home decoration fires were started by candles. Cooking started 19 percent of decoration fires, 12 percent involved electrical distribution and lighting equipment, heating equipment was involved in 11 percent, 8 percent were intentionally set, and smoking materials started 7 percent," reported the NFPA.
Thanksgiving may be the peak day for home cooking fires, but that's followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.
"Cooking equipment was involved in one of every five (19%) of home decoration fires," according to the NFPA. "This can happen when a decoration is left on or too close to a stove or other cooking equipment."