UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Service

458 Highway 98 North

Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578

Phone: (863) 763-6469

E- mail: dsclements@ifas.ufl.edu

December 10, 2003

Feature Article - for release the week of December 14, 2003

Debbie Clements - Extension Family & Consumer Science Agent

Preventing Holiday Fires

"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" brings an image of warmth and coziness to our homes at this time of year. But, that symbol of warmth can erupt into a raging inferno and change holiday cheer into a disaster if safety rules in the home are ignored.

The holidays are approaching, and many homes are decorated in honor of them. However, some holiday decorations can easily cause a fire: decorative light bulbs plugged in for extended periods, candles burning unsupervised, and dry trees can cause a fire in your home. Today’s column offers some tips to prevent fires caused by holiday decorations, and comes from University of Florida Consumer Educators Mary Harrison and Jennifer Andrews:

Do not leave holiday lights on while the house is unoccupied or while the occupants are sleeping. A fire caused by holiday lights can be put out faster when the occupants are home and awake.
Consider buying a timer for your holiday lights. This will ensure the lights do not stay on for unnecessarily long periods of time.
Do not burn candles unsupervised. Keep any flammable objects, such as draperies or paper holiday decorations, away from lit candles.
Be careful about burning potpourri or incense. Use the same precautions as you do when burning candles - do not burn unattended and keep it away from flammable objects.
If your holiday decorations include a cut tree, make certain the tree has plenty of water so that it does not dry out. Check the water level each day. A dry tree decorated with lights can easily catch fire.

Place your holiday decorations so that small children or pets do not disturb them. For example, dogs and cats can knock over candles, chew on electrical cords, or chew on trees. Small children may accidentally pull or push the tree over.

Be extra careful when using a fireplace. Always use a fireplace screen. Keep the damper open while the fire is burning and - closed once the fire is completely extinguished. Never leave the fire unattended. These rules also apply to outside fireplaces as well.

The holidays are an excellent time to check your fire extinguisher and smoke detectors. Look for the expiration date on the fire extinguisher and change the batteries in each smoke detector.

If your holiday plans include an extended stay from your home, have a friend or trusted neighbor check your home at least once a week. This will ensure your home remains in good condition.

And remember that Santa Claus is not the only unexpected visitor to your home during the holiday season. The holidays have a higher burglary rate. The key is to make your home look like it is occupied. Here are some ideas to insure home security:

Buy a timer to have your lights go on and off on their own.
Have a neighbor pick up your mail while you are out of town.
Be sure to securely lock your home at all times.

Keep small children and pets in mind during the holiday season. Do not leave decorations such as mistletoe or poinsettia plants within their reach. Remember that chocolate and tinsel are dangerous to dogs. Children can hurt themselves from glass decorations, cleaning solvents, and electrical cords.

So, after your decorations are in place, be sure to give your home a safety check to insure that the joy of the season does not become a nightmare on Elm Street. If you need additional information on holiday safety, visit our website http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu for more assistance or call or stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North. Our phone number is 863-763-6469, and you can email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu.

-30-

The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS /University of Florida.

REFERENCES

This feature article was adapted from: Harrison, Mary & Andrews, Jennifer. "Preventing Holiday Fires". In: Housing and Built Environment Newsletter, Volume II, December 2003. Gainesville: UF/IFAS Extension Service.

Giles, Ken. CPSC Releases Holiday Safety Tips for Avoiding Fires and Injuries. Washington: US Consumer Product Safety Commission. 12/5/2000. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml01/01046.html

Holiday Decoration Safety Tips (CPSC Document #611). Washington: US Consumer Product Safety Commission. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/611.html

Holiday Food Safety Tips (webpage) September 2003. Gainesville: UF/IFAS Extension Service http://foodsafety.ifas.ufl.edu/HTML/holihome.htm

Williams, Brenda. Living in the 21st Century (Alachua County Extension newsletter), Vol 3 No. 6, December 2003. Gainesville: UF/IFAS Extension Service. http://alachua.ifas.ufl.edu/fcs/Vol%203%20Num%206.pdf