Holiday safety tips

JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI) – The holiday season is a time for gathering with friends and family, sharing meals and decorating homes. While these festive activities are cherished hallmarks of the holiday season, they also present fire risks and other safety concerns. Make sure the memories you create are good ones by following these tips from Teton County Emergency Management and Jackson Hole Fire/EMS.

• Keep your Christmas tree hydrated and away from all heat sources and room exits. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a dry tree can catch fire and burn faster than newspaper. Watch this demonstration from the National Institute of Standards and Technology: https://youtu.be/26A-49Wb2F4
• Practice fire safety in the kitchen. Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve, as reported by the NFPA’s Applied Research. Stay in the kitchen while cooking on the stovetop. Be especially careful with fryers. If you do have a cooking fire, learn what to do by visiting the NFPA’s Cooking page.
• Light it up, safely. Inspect holiday lights and cords for damage and throw away any that are frayed, kinked, or worn. Never overload a circuit. A typical household circuit can power 70 strings of 50-bulb mini lights or 300-600 strings of 50-bulb LED lights. Turn off all lights and decorations before leaving the house or going to bed. Use a ground fault circuit interrupter where water and electricity could potentially mix.
• Dig out gas lines and vents. Heavy snow and roof slides can block or damage gas lines and vents, creating a serious safety concern. Make sure that your gas meter is easily accessible, even during winter months.
• Install and check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Smoke detectors should be placed inea ch bedroom, in hallways adjacent to bedrooms, and on every level of the home. If you have a fuel-burning appliance, install carbon monoxide detectors in hallways adjacent to bedrooms and on every floor. Each detector should be tested monthly.
• Use space heaters with care. Space heaters should be used as temporary heating only and should be plugged in to a 20-amp circuit. They should never be used with an extension cord.
• Practice good chimney and fireplace hygiene. Fireplaces and chimneys should be inspected by a professional chimney sweep every year. Consider clearing out ashes once they have accumulated about one inch in the bottom of the fireplace. Give your fire plenty of time to cool and always treat fireplace ashes as if they could still be hot before properly disposing of them.

It is far easier and cheaper to mitigate hazards before something happens than it is to recover after a
catastrophe like a house fire. You can learn more by visiting:

• National Fire Protection Association: www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Seasonal-fire-causes/Winter-holidays
• American Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-ofemergencies/fire/holiday-fire-safety.html