The Holiday Season has Finally Arrived

Firstly...Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all

With snow on the ground comes colder temperatures and and increased risk for fires. We are urging you to be more aware while decorating for the holiday season by eliminating potential hazards that could lead to a fire. Here are some tips:

Decorative Lighting
Be sure all lights, indoor or outdoor have been tested by a certified testing lab,
also, when using any extension cords, they should be rated for indoor or outdoor
use. You should also inspect all outdoor receptacles be for use as well.  
Inspect all light strings for broken, loose or cracked sockets. Also, never plug
more than 3 light strings end to end on 1 extention cord. Never use staple or nails to hang the lights,
this increases your risk of a fire by damaging the wires. Turn off all lights before going to bed
or leaving your house, because they may short out and start a fire.
Lastly, Never leave outdoor lights up for an extended period of time, because they can be
damaged by the weather or by animals chewing on them.

Decorations
Be sure to be diligent when decorating in a home with small children. Do not put
decorations up which have sharp edges or that are breakable in reaching distance. Keep all
small decorations up from a childs reach so they can not swallow or inhale small parts. Also, avoid decorating
with anything that resembles food which may tempt a child to eat it. When using artificial snow, always
follow the directions on the can to avoid lung irritations. Consider flameless LED candles instead. If using real
candles, before going leaving home or going to bed be sure all candles are out. Maintain a 1 foot radius all
around when using candles.

Trees
Did you know that it takes less than 30 seconds to engulf a room in flames?
I bet you weren't aware they make turpentine out of pine trees either. To minimize risks, be sure to buy a fresh
tree with all needles still intact, when the tree is trunk is tapped on the ground, it should not lose
any needles. Also the trunk butt should be sticky with resin.  Make sure the tree is kept away from
any heat sources, especially if it is decorated with garland. Do not leave the tree up for an extended period
of time (3-4 weeks). Be sure to water it everyday, after 3-4 weeks the tree, no matter how well watered it is,
begins to dry out, posing a fire hazard. When picking out an artificial tree, be sure that it is fire resistent, this
does not mean that it will not catch fire, this means that it will not burn as easily and can be extinguished easier.

Visit the following links for additonal Fire Prevention Tips:

FOR KIDS:  http://www.sparky.org/
http://www.nfpa.org/