National Fire Protection Association Winter/Holiday Fire Prevention Tips

National Fire Protection Association Winter/Holiday Fire Prevention Tips

The winter holidays are a time for celebration, and that means more cooking, home decorating, entertaining, and an increased risk of fire due to heating equipment and holiday decorations and lighting.

* Be careful with holiday decorations. Choose decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant.
* Keep candles away from decorations and other things that can burn.
* Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory. Outdoors, use outdoor- rated lights.

See the complete NFPA holiday safety tips list.

Safe Holiday Decoration Hints

As the holidays approach, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging people to look for and eliminate potential dangers from holiday lights and decorations that could lead to fires and injuries. Each year, hospital emergency rooms treat about 10,800 people for injuries, such as falls, cuts and shocks, related to holiday lights, decorations and Christmas trees. In addition, there are 11,000 candle-related fires each year, resulting in 150 deaths and 1,200 injuries annually. Christmas trees are involved in about 400 fires annually, resulting in 20 deaths, 70 injuries and an average of more than $15 million in property loss and damage. Here are some CPSC tips to make your holiday a safe one.