|
 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.” [to top of second
column] |
Here are some tips to keep in mind to stay fire safe
when decking the halls this holiday season.
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Be careful with holiday decorations. Make sure
decorations are either flame retardant or flame resistant.
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Keep lit candles at least 12 inches away from
decorations or anything that can catch fire.
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Keep children and pets away from lit candles.
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Extinguish all lit candles before going to bed or
leaving the house.
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Check to make sure your lights are rated for
indoor or outdoor use or both.
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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.
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Turn off all light strings and decorations before
leaving home or going to bed.
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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.
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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] |
