Illinois State Fire Marshal
Stresses Fire Safety During the Holiday Season
Seventeen Fire Related Deaths Reported
During 2020 Holiday Season in Illinois
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[December 09, 2021]
Many will be decking the halls to celebrate this holiday season.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) more
than two of every five home decoration fires occur due to
decorations being placed too close to a heat source. More than
one-third of home decoration fires are started by candles. The NFPA
also reports that US fire departments responded to an average of 780
home structure fires per year that began with decorations between
2013-2017.
More than half of home decoration fires in December are started by
candles. Candle fires peak in December followed closely by January.
The top three days for home candle fires are Christmas Day, New
Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve. Before you head to bed or out for the
evening, extinguish all lit candles.
“The holidays are here and that means many will be decorating their
homes. Hanging up decorations is fun, but keep in mind, holiday
decorations can increase your risk for a home fire, says Illinois
State Fire Marshal Matt Perez. “It’s important to follow and
practice fire safety measures so that you and your family can enjoy
a festive and fire safe holiday season.”
The OSFM will once again be hosting the Keep the Wreath Red Campaign
at our offices in Springfield and Chicago, along with at the Quinn
Fire Academy in Chicago and the Illinois Fire Service Institute in
Champaign. This campaign raises awareness about the importance of
fire safety during the holiday season (December 1st through January
2nd). Unfortunately, last year 17 lives were lost in fire related
incidents during the holiday season in Illinois.
Keep the wreath red campaign began in 1954 in Naperville to raise
awareness about holiday fire safety. Wreaths will be placed and lit
with red bulbs outside of the OSFM offices in Springfield and at the
Thompson Center in Chicago. White light bulbs will replace the red
bulbs when a fire related death is reported in the state.
“These white lights are not just bulbs; they represent a person!
That person could be your Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, Aunt, Uncle,
Friend or neighbor,” says Fire Marshal Perez. “The goal of the
campaign is to strive for zero fire related deaths during the
holiday season.”
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Here are some tips to keep in mind to stay fire safe when decking
the halls this holiday season.
-
Be
careful with holiday decorations. Make sure decorations are
either flame retardant or flame resistant.
-
Keep
lit candles at least 12 inches away from decorations or anything
that can catch fire.
-
Keep
children and pets away from lit candles.
-
Extinguish all lit candles before going to bed or leaving the
house.
-
Check
to make sure your lights are rated for indoor or outdoor use or
both.
-
Replace any light strands that have worn or broken cords. Make
sure to read the recommendation for number of light strings you
can string together.
-
Turn
off all light strings and decorations before leaving home or
going to bed.
-
If you
have a real Christmas tree, make sure to check water levels
daily! It is not unusual for a tree to drink two gallons of
water the first day it is in the stand.
-
Keep
real Christmas trees away from a heat source. It can dry out the
tree quickly.
After a busy cooking day on Thanksgiving, before firing the oven
back up preparing the next holiday meal, make sure to clean it! In
case of an oven fire, turn off the oven and keep the door closed
until it is cool. Clean cook tops as left-over grease can catch
fire. Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, but
Christmas and Christmas Eve follow closely behind.
If you are planning to host family and friends during the holidays,
make sure they are aware of your fire escape plan. Show them where
all the exits are in your home and make sure they are aware of a
meeting spot location in case of fire. Illinoisans should continue
following the COVID-19 prevention protocols from the Illinois
Department of Public Health and the CDC.
[Illinois Office of Communication and
Information] |