Fire Safety Tips for Christmas
Christmas is a time of ‘high risk’ for house fires due to the widespread use of candles, lights and increased consumption of alcohol. There would be nothing worse than to face the destruction and devastation of a house fire at what should be the happiest time of the year. One of the biggest causes of house fires is unattended candles – so we recommend you give the gift of a Scentsy Flameless Candle and Warmer this year.
Here are some more of our top fair safety tips (thanks to Dublin FireBrigade for this information) to make sure you enjoy a ‘scentsational’ Christmas.
Christmas Trees
- Place real Christmas trees securely in a sturdy base filled with water – metal stands cause trees to dry out and become flammable
- Check water level daily
- Ensure artificial trees have been pre-treated to increase flame resistance
- Keep tree away from candles, heaters, fireplaces or other heat sources
- Dispose of tree properly – never burn a real tree in the fireplace
- View a video that demonstrates how quickly the fire can develop when a DRY tree is exposed to an open flame.
Christmas Lights
Indoors
- Only buy Christmas lights marked with a safety standard
- Make sure a competent person checks all connections and examines the wiring for fraying
- If in doubt, throw them out.
- Don’t overload sockets
- Unplug all Christmas lights and electrical appliances before leaving your home or going to bed
Outdoors
- Ensure lights are suitable for outdoor use
- Check all wiring and follow manufacturers instructions.
- Fasten the bulbs securely and point the sockets down to avoid moisture building up.
- Never use indoor extension leads outside.
- Keep outdoor electrical connections above ground and out of puddles and snow.
- Ensure trees hung with Christmas lights are not touching power lines
Candles
- Keep them out of reach of children and pets
- Trim the wick to 6mm (1/4 inch) each time before burning
- Keep burning candles away from drafts, vents and air currents
- Never place a candle on top of a TV set and keep well away from curtains
- Always extinguish candles before leaving the house or going to bed
- Never use candles on Christmas trees, even artificial ones
- Remember hot wax burns!
Remember there is a safe alternative to candles called Scentsy…
Other Christmas Fire Safety Tips
- Never burn wrapping paper in your fireplace
- Keep strings of Christmas cards away from candles and open fires
- Fit a spark guard in front of open fires
- Extinguish cigarettes properly and do not let ashtrays get overfilled
- Check that your smoke alarms are in perfect working order
- Never remove batteries from smoke alarm to use in children’s toys
- Clean out the oven and stove prior to Christmas
