Fire Prevention Amplified During Holiday Season

12/16/2021 (Permalink)

Dried out Christmas Tree catches fire, causing local fire department to extinguish it on residential site.

The beeping sounds are plentiful, as we forge our way through holiday shopping and crowded checkout lanes! The season brings joy and celebration sounds all around. Still, the beeping sound you may not have checked for could save your life. That’s right, I am talking about the smoke detector BEEP!

In our great city, there is no excuse to be without the precautions made available to you. In fact the Tallahassee Fire Department offers two smoke detectors for each household at no cost to the residents. This effort is made most important due to the number of fire disasters reported each year. The holiday season is known to increase those numbers exponentially. 

Our local Fire Department (TFD) is strongly suggesting that the community residents keep a high regard for extra protocol during the holiday season. Added decor- including celebratory candles, Christmas tree lights, and greenery surrounding can cause more hazard than normal and the festivities surrounding can serve as a distraction. To ensure the education is effective, TFD hosts a Christmas Tree Fire Safety partnership with the State Fire Marshal with tips and tools for every household. They highlight the simplicity of the steps that can be taken and offer entertainment along the way.

It’s suggested that residents take on as many of the following as possible for maximum fire prevention:

• Check Christmas trees for fresh, green needles. Dried out trees burn faster, so keeping your tree watered and moist is important.
• Keep trees at least 3 ft from fireplaces, radiators, space heaters, heating vents and other heat sources. 
• Don’t position trees in front of exits.
• Check light strings to make sure they have no damage and also turn lights off before leaving and going to bed.
• If purchasing an artificial tree, make sure you see the “Fire Resistant” label on it.
• Use a fire screen in front of embers and logs and sure fires are fully extinguished after using them for leisure.
• Check all batteries in smoke detectors.

While this information can seem like common sense at first glance, it is easy to forget or get wrapped up in the events, celebrations and busy days. Check out this Home Safety Survey provided by the Tallahassee Fire Department.

We are proud to serve our community with disaster relief and are honored to support the prevention tactics to avoid it as well.