Holiday Fire Prevention

From the NFPA: Christmas Tree Safety Tips

• Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched.
• Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 2” from the base of the trunk.
• Make sure the tree is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights.
• Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit.
• Add water to the tree stand. Be sure to add water daily.
• Use lights that are listed by a qualified testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use.
• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Read manufacturer’s instructions for number of light strands to connect.
• Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.
• Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.

* Almost one third of home Christmas tree fires are caused by electrical problems.

* A heat source too close to the tree causes more than one in every five of the fires.

The author of this content cannot be liable for any use or misuse of the contents. This is a guideline and is meant for information only.

Smoke alarms are very important to fire safety in your home, the death rate in home structure fires is approximately 60% lower in homes with working smoke alarms than in homes with no alarms or none that worked, according to the latest NFPA research.

There are different types of alarms that can be purchased that have different pros and cons:

Most often, you will see information pertaining to Photoelectric vs Ionization alarms. The difference between these two types is the sensor that is used to detect the smoke. An ionization smoke alarm is generally more responsive to flaming fires (imagine a fire where you can see the flame), while a photoelectric smoke alarm is generally more responsive to smoking, smoldering fires (such as a cigarette).

To get an alarm that is just as responsive to smoldering fires as it is to flaming fires, you can get an alarm that has dual sensors. These alarms have both an ionization sensor and a photoelectric sensor that will cause the alarm to sound.

There are also combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that have both sensors to sense smoke and to sense for carbon monoxide (CO). These alarms may look like smoke alarms and are mounted on the ceiling or the wall near the ceiling. If your house has fuel-burning equipment or appliances (oil or gas boiler, oil or gas furnace, oil or gas water heater, fireplace, etc.), an attached garage, or a fuel-burning generator, then you will need to also have carbon monoxide detection within your house.

Check back next month for more information on Smoke Alarms or contact us.

The author of this content cannot be liable for any use or misuse of the contents. This is a guideline and is meant for information only.