Use Holiday Decorations Wisely To Avoid House Fires
Release Date: December 5, 2005
Release Number: 1603-199
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BATON ROUGE, La -- Statistics show the incidence of house fires increases during the winter holiday season, fueled in part by holiday decorations, candles and Christmas trees. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness remind citizens of holiday safety tips. There are some easy, commonsense things everyone can do to reduce their risk of a fire and keep the holiday season joyful for families.
According to the United States Fire Administration, fires caused by candles increase fourfold during the holidays, and each year, 200 house fires occur where Christmas trees are the initial source of ignition. However, residents don't have to give up holiday decorations in the interest of safety.
Some safety tips include:
- Maintain holiday lights. Avoid overloading electrical outlets.
- Use only nonflammable decorations that are placed away from heat vents and if using an artificial tree, make sure it's flame retardant.
- Avoid using candles.
- Select a fresh Christmas tree and keep it in water at all times; needles on fresh trees should be green and should not fall off easily.
- Make a fire safety plan and escape route; practice.
For fire-safety reasons, residents should not place lights on damaged roofs or on blue roofs.
If there is a fire emergency in any residence, including FEMA travel trailers or mobile homes, Get Out and Stay Out, then notify the local fire department using the 911 system or proper local emergency number.
For additional safety tips, visit www.usfa.fema.gov/safety or contact the local fire department.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 06-Dec-2005 09:29:25