The holiday season is usually a fun time of year, with family, great homecooked meals, holiday trees for Christmas and Chanukah and scented candles.
However, holiday fires are very common, due to unattended candles and trees that dry out quickly in our heated homes and businesses. Fires can be devastating and even deadly, especially when we are distracted by visiting friends and family, a glass of wine or two and vacations that take us out of town and away from our decorated trees.
When these devastating fires occur, they can do a great deal of damage and can be deadly for homeowners who try to put them out, instead of leaving the structure for safety! Property losses during a holiday fire are 34% greater than in an average fire, and the number of fatalities per thousand is nearly 70% higher than an average calendar day each year.
Fire hazards around the oven or stovetop can easily be overlooked, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building and life safety. Servpros – like the independent company one that my husband and I own in the lower Hud -- want everyone to be aware of fire safety throughout the holidays, whether you are making meals for two or 20 loved ones.
Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and related injuries in the U.S. The NFPA reported that from 2005 through 2009, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 155,400 home fires per year involving cooking equipment. These fires caused an annual average of 390 civilian deaths, 4,800 civilian injuries, and $771 million in direct property damage.
A few last facts and tips:
Candles ~ The incidence of candle fires is four times higher during late November and December than during other months. According to the National Fire Protection Association, four of the five most dangerous days of the year for residential candle fires are Christmas/Christmas Eve and New Year’s/New Year’s Eve. (The fifth is Halloween.) To reduce the danger, maintain about a foot of space between the candle and anything that can burn. Set candles on sturdy bases or cover with hurricane globes. Never leave flames unattended. Before bed, walk through each room to make sure candles are blown out. For atmosphere without worry, consider flameless LED candles.
Christmas / Chanukah trees ~ It takes less than 30 seconds for a dry tree to engulf a room in flames, according to the Building and Fire Research Laboratory of the National Institute for Standards and Technology. “They make turpentine out of pine trees,” notes Tom Olshanski, spokesman for the U.S. Fire Administration. “A Christmas tree is almost explosive when it goes.” To minimize risk, buy a fresh tree with intact needles, get a fresh cut on the trunk, and water it every day. A well-watered tree is almost impossible to ignite. Keep the tree away from heat sources, such as a fireplace or radiator, and out of traffic patterns. If you’re using live garlands and other greenery, keep them at least three feet away from heating sources. No matter how well the tree is watered, it will start to dry out after about four weeks, Olshanski says, so take it down after the holidays. Artificial trees don’t pose much of a fire hazard; just make sure yours is flame-retardant.
Decorative lights ~ Inspect light strings, and throw out any with frayed or cracked wires or broken sockets. When decorating, don’t run more than three strings of lights end to end. “Stacking the plugs is much safer when you’re using a large quantity of lights,” explains Brian L. Vogt, director of education for holiday lighting firm Christmas Décor. Extension cords should be in good condition and UL-rated for indoor or outdoor use. Check outdoor receptacles to make sure the ground fault interrupters don’t trip. If they trip repeatedly, Vogt says, that’s a sign that they need to be replaced. When hanging lights outside, avoid using nails or staples, which can damage the wiring and increase the risk of a fire. Instead, use UL-rated clips or hangers. And take lights down within 90 days, says John Drengenberg, director of consumer safety for Underwriters Laboratories. “If you leave them up all year round, squirrels chew on them and they get damaged by weather.”
Kids playing with matches ~ The number of blazes—and, tragically, the number of deaths—caused by children playing with fire goes up significantly during the holidays. From January through March, 13% of fire deaths are the result of children playing with fire, the USFA reports; in December, that percentage doubles. So keep matches and lighters out of kids’ reach. “We tend to underestimate the power of these tools,” says Meri-K Appy, president of the nonprofit Home Safety Council. “A match or lighter could be more deadly than a loaded gun in the hands of a small child.”
Fireplaces ~ Soot can harden on chimney walls as flammable creosote, so before the fireplace season begins, have your chimney inspected to see if it needs cleaning. Screen the fireplace to prevent embers from popping out onto the floor or carpet, and never use flammable liquids to start a fire in the fireplace. Only burn seasoned, dry wood—with no wrapping paper as an incendiary. When cleaning out the fireplace, put embers in a metal container and set them outside to cool for 24 hours before disposal.
So, winter’s officially on the way and most of us are putting up a holiday tree and have turned the heat up at home. However, heating equipment — especially a malfunctionig oil boiler in northeast homes can cause a "puffback." What happens is the draft in the chimmney will go the wrong way, so the soot generated when the oil gets burned and heats up, the soot can be blown back into a home or business through the heating vents. Please be sure to get those boilers checked each fall and even mid-winter, if you buy a new home!
Our Servpro of Scarsdale / Mount Vernon cleans puffbacks, when the boiler goes and emits soot and debris onto every surface of your home through your vents. We’re here, b-ut if you properly maintain your boiler, you won’t need our fire cleanup services.
Contacts:
Contact your local fire station, if you have any question about a natural gas smell or smoke smell in a home or business.
For a complimentary Disaster Response Plan for fire recovery and an Emergency Plan for your business, contact us in Westchester County, NY. And, for your questions about preventing or cleaning up after a boiler “puffback,” call us 24/7/265 at: 914-699-5181.
We make it “like it never even happened,” if there is a fire or water damage emergency your home, or office. Have a SAFE happy, healthy and enjoyable holiday season.
Servpro of Scarsdale / Mount Vernon ~ Fire, water & mold remediation
