Safety corner: Holiday fire safety tips

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kendall Walters
  • 2nd Civil Engineer Squadron
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Holidays are a time for families to enjoy being together. It is a time for fun and letting the stresses of work drift away. However, it is not a time to relax from fire and holiday safety.

There are many instances where a little more time and thought would have saved lives and property. Each year, fires occurring during the holiday season and claim the lives of more than 400 people, injure 1,650 more and cause more than $990 million in damage.

When decorating the house with Christmas lights, do not overload outlets or power strips. Use Underwriters Laboratories' approved lights for indoor and outdoor use. When hanging lights, use clips not nails to avoid damaging the wires. Replace any string of lights that have worn or broken cords, or loose-bulb connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini light sets. Keep decorations away from windows and doors to keep wires from being pinched and exits from being blocked.

Cooking safety is often left on the back burner. There are several ways that fires could start in the kitchen. The most obvious is leaving food unattended on the stove. Do not let children play in the kitchen while food is being cooked. Do not try and extinguish grease fires with water; this will only make the fire more intense. The correct steps for grease fires are turn off the heat and cover with a lid.

Between the years of 2003-2007, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 250 home fires that started with Christmas trees every year. These fires caused an average of 14 deaths, 26 injuries and $13.8 million in direct property damage annually. Barksdale has a base instruction that regulates when a live Christmas tree can be put up. According to Barksdale Air Force Base Instruction 32-2001, live trees shall not be put up before Dec. 15 and will be removed before Jan. 1. Live trees will have water levels checked twice a day or more often as needed. Artificial trees will be labeled flame retardant or flame resistive. Natural-cut Christmas trees will not be located near heating vents or other fixed or portable heating devices that could cause the tree to dry out prematurely or to be ignited. Do not use real candles on trees.

Never put wrapping paper in a fireplace, it can result in a very large fire, throwing off dangerous sparks and embers that may result in a chimney fire. Always have an exit plan and do not forget to practice it. Check smoke detectors and replace batteries every six months. With any use of a fire extinguisher, remember the word PASS - pull, aim, squeeze and sweep. Get out, stay out and never run back into a burning house. There are not any material objects that are worth more than a life. Call the fire department for any emergencies.

Have a safe and happy holiday season. For any holiday fire questions, contact the fire prevention office at 456-2573.