The Christmas holidays tend to be most people's favorite time of the year for things such as giving presents, getting presents, spending time with your family, and getting some time off of work or school. But as with anything else in life, that doesn't mean that reckless behavior should take place. And as a result, there are things to do and not to do.
"During Christmas time, if you have a natural live tree make sure it's thoroughly watered daily, you don't want that tree to dry out and become a fire hazard inside your living room. If you are using Christmas lights in a tree and make sure they're inspected, there's no frayed or kinks in the in the actual lighting system. Make sure the CSA approved.Same with the light bars. You're not overloading any sockets and extension cords. Or if you're using power bars that you're not overdoing the power supply." - Chad Cooper, Terrace Fire Chief
A dry and natural tree is said to be able to be ignited within seconds and could result in a very dangerous flashover type of fire. And this past summer showed just how bad tree based fires can become.
So it's best to make sure your tree isn't near any kind of fireplace heater or any other type of heat source.
"Trees aren't the only increased fire hazard at this time of year. We will see an uptick in in cooking related fires or smoke conditions. So we just want to remind residents that you're cleaning your oven when you are cooking. You're not using substances and leaving your cooking unattended. So making sure you're in the room and watching it thoroughly, making sure that you're smoke alarms are operating inside your home. So you have one per level. It has to change the battery, making sure everything's good on that side." - Chad Cooper, Terrace Fire Chief
As for exterior lights, CSA approved ones are the best way to go and the main tip to avoid problems with them is to make sure they are all plugged in properly and not going to overload a socket.
