The holiday season is almost here and National Home Fire Safety Week is from November 24th to 30th. Locals decorating for the holidays should be cautious when handling potentially dangerous situations in regards to fire risks.

Deputy Cheif with the Airdrie Fire Department Garth Rabel says that this time of year brings about more fire risks.

 

"This is really a time of year that we do see an increase in home fires. I think that's because we have families coming over, there's a lot of cooking, there’s a lot of paper, candles, festivities and things like that. It's always a good thing to keep everything in the front of your mind before we move into the Christmas season."

Rabel says that bringing a fresh tree into the house could create a fire risk if not taken care of correctly.

 

"If you are getting a fresh tree, make sure that it is fresh. It shouldn’t be dropping a lot of needles. It will need water even though it’s just a cut tree. It needs water and you will need to keep it watered throughout the season."

 

"When you're done decorating the tree, make sure you always place the tree away from any heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, candles, those type of things because when the tree dries, it can become flammable as well."

 

With all those extra lights and electrical lights, any home shining with holiday spirits should be aware of the potential danger of the situation. Rabel says that any lights hung should be properly inspected prior to hanging.

 

"Before you hang your lights on the tree or on the exterior of the house, make sure that all the lights and all of the bulbs are properly working and functioning safely. Check for wear and tear on the cords and make sure that the lights are seated where they’re supposed to be connected into the cord and you should be able to hang those and enjoy those throughout Christmas."

 

And don't forget to run off the lights when it's bedtime, says Rabel.

 

"Bedtime means lights off."

Holiday candles being used to add that last touch of spirit to the house should be kept safe and apart from any flammable objects.

 

"Candles are very popular this time of year, but again we want to make sure that candles are used safely. Now there are so many candles on the market that are actually battery-operated without an open flame. Those are the ones we would recommend using. If you are using candles, natural-burning candles, make sure they don't come into contact with furniture, drapes, or your Christmas decorations."

 

The Canada Safety Council also has a few safety tips, such as:

  • Don't use damaged extension cords
  • Use timers on outdoor lights
  • Don't plug in more than one space heater into an outlet
  • Plug in your outdoor lights to ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets
  • Hit that test and reset button before you plug in your devices

 

Be safe out there this holiday season.

 

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