Fire Department offers holiday safety tips

  • Published
  • By Desiree Larson
  • 22nd Civil Engineer Squadron fire department
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  With the holiday season here, people are putting many hours are going into making preparations for time to be spent with family and friends. However, each year, fires can turn holiday times into tragic times. And the real tragedy is that these fires could have been prevented.

The base fire department offers the following tips to help people and their families enjoy a safe and happy holiday.

Things to remember when selecting a real tree are to buy as fresh a tree as possible. Shake it or tap it on the ground. If more than a few needles fall off, don't take it. It's already dried out too much. At home, keep the tree in a cool place. Before placing it in a stand, make a fresh diagonal cut at the base. This will allow it to absorb water better. Make sure the stand is large enough to handle both the size of the tree and plenty of water. Live trees will go through more water than you might think. Make sure artificial trees are flame resistant. Under fire conditions, artificial trees can burn and give off deadly fumes.

Whether people prefer a live or artificial tree, they should place the trees where they are not likely to be tipped over. This is especially important for homes with small children or pets. Keep trees away from possible heat sources, such as radiators and fireplaces. Also, keep them out of high-traffic areas and away from stairways and doors.

Christmas lights are another thing to think about. Before placing lights on a tree, make sure they are in good working condition. They need to have a label from Underwriters Laboratories or Factory Mutual on them. This indicates they have met stringent test standards and should be safe for their designed use. Make sure connections are tight and in good shape to prevent wire decoration hangers or metal icicles from causing an electrical short. Lights used to decorate the outside of houses need to be the type approved for use outdoors. For both indoor and outdoor use, follow the manufacture recommendations for the number of strings of lights that can be safely used together. Too many sets together can easily overload a circuit.

Dispose of live trees soon after the holidays, before they dry out too much. Keeping them longer than needed only invites a chance for fires.

Keep the holiday season happy. Take the time to prevent needless fire hazards from turning the holiday season tragic. For additional information on how to prevent fires both during the holiday season and throughout the year, call the fire prevention office at 759-3904, and 759-3900.