Twelve Days of Holiday Fire Safety

Dec 18, 2014

Join the “12 Days of Holiday Fire Safety” make the Fire Marshal’s wish come true for the most fire-safe December ever.

Day 1 Water Fresh Trees Daily. Keep the base of the trunk in water at all times. Keep your tree away from any ignition source such as the fireplace, heaters or candles.

Day 2 Check all lights before decorating. Before you put up lights check the cords closely. Discard any sets that are frayed or damaged. Never plug more than 3 strings of lights together. Never connect LED to conventional lights. This is likely to wear out LED bulbs more rapidly and could pose a fire or electrical hazard.

Day 3 Make sure you have working smoke alarms. It’s the law to have one working smoke alarm on every storey of your home and outside all sleeping areas. Test smoke alarms monthly and replace smoke alarms as indicated in the manufacturer’s instructions. Replace batteries once per year or chose models with 10 year sealed batteries that never need changing.

Day 4 Protect your family with carbon monoxide alarms: it’s the law in Ontario. If your home has a fuel fired appliance or an attached garage, you must have a working CO alarm adjacent to each sleeping area of the home. For added protection, install one on every storey of your home according to the manufacturer’s instructions, which also identify when CO alarms need to be replaced.

Day 5 Make sure everyone knows how to get out safely. Develop and practice a home escape plan with everyone in your home, as well as guess over the holidays. Once outside stay outside and call 911 from a cell phone or a neighbor’s house. Determine who will be responsible for helping anyone who may need assistance.

Day 6 Use extension cords wisely. Avoid overloading circuits and plugs with extension cords, as this can create overheating that could result in a fire. Never put cords under rugs.

Day 7: Give space heaters space. If you are using space heaters to help take the chill off, remember to keep them at least one metre (3 feet) away from anything that can burn such as curtains, upholstery, or holiday decorations. 

Day 8 When you go out, blow out! Candles can set the perfect mood for a holiday celebration, but remember to always blow out candles before leaving the room or going to bed. Keep lit candles safely away from children and pets and anything that can burn, such as curtains, upholstery, or holiday decorations. Be candle safe! 

Day 9 Keep matches and lighters out of the sight and reach of children. People often keep matches and lighters handy to light holiday candles. But matches and lighters can be deadly in the hands of children. If you smoke, have only one lighter or book of matches and keep them with you at all times.

Day 10 Watch what you heat! The holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year, which means it's easy to get distracted from what we are doing. Cooking fires most commonly occur when cooking is left unattended. Always stay in the kitchen when cooking; especially if using oil or high temperatures. If a pot catches fire, carefully slide a tight-fitting lid over the pot to smother the flames and then turn off the heat.

Day 11 Encourage smokers to smoke outside. Careless smoking is the leading cause of fatal fires. If you do allow smoking indoors use large, deep ashtrays that can't be knocked over and make sure cigarette butts are properly extinguished. 

Day 12 There’s more to responsible drinking than taking a cab home. With all the festive cheer this time of year, keep a close eye on anyone attempting to cook or smoke while under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol is all too often a common factor in many fatal fires.