Greetings from Station 9-1

Each year, fires occurring during the holiday season injure 2,600 individuals and cause more than $930 million in damage.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), there are simple life-saving steps you can take to ensure a safe and happy holiday. By following some of the outlined precautionary tips, individuals can greatly reduce their chances of becoming a holiday fire casualty.

To best care for your Christmas tree, do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times. If many needles fall off, the tree probably dried out and is a fire hazard and needs to be addressed immediately.

When disposing of your tree, never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood-burning stove. This dramatically increases the risk of chimney fires. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away. Check your newspaper for recycling locations that accept Christmas trees.

Inspect decorative lights each year as you take them down for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets and excessive kinking or wear. While gathering up the lights, never keep them connected for more than three strands at a time. This will help remind you to not connect more than the three strands while putting them up again next year, as doing do increases the chance for electrical shorting and fire.

Never put wrapping paper in a fireplace. It can throw off dangerous sparks and produce a chemical buildup in the home that could cause an explosion.

As in every season, have working smoke alarms installed on every level of your home, test them monthly and keep them clean and equipped with fresh batteries at all times. Know when and how to call for help. If you don’t have smoke alarms or can’t remember how long ago they were installed, contact your local fire department for advice and information on how to replace the alarms or batteries. Some departments can help you with a donated alarm and ensure your alarms are installed properly.

The Houston Fire Department will be placing a regular article each week in this newspaper. We will be focused toward helping you remain safe and sound in all seasons, and we also would love to answer any questions you may have about the fire department, fire service, EMS, rescue or any other first responder related questions you can think of. Please e-mail us at hartley@myopinionmatters.org with any questions you have about anything related to public safety. Your question may even get answered in the newspaper!

Christian M Hartley is the public information officer for the Houston Fire Department.