A Moncton woman was left shaken but uninjured after she tried to put out a fire inside her home Thursday morning.
Anita Louise LeBlanc was plugging in Christmas lights in the stairwell of her home when a fire started.
“The wire was on fire, and it just ran right along the whole ledge,” she said.
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LeBlanc tried to keep it under control while the fire was small but knew she couldn’t do it alone.
“After the third jug of water, I had to call,” she said. “I realized it was a losing job because it was getting so far ahead of me, and then it was starting to drop off into the stairwell.”
“It was a faulty power cord that basically caused the issue,” says Charles LeBlanc, who is the division chief for Moncton’s fire prevention and investigation unit.
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The stairwell is where the majority of the damage is, although restoration crews will be cleaning out the house as a result of the smoke and soot that spread throughout the building.
Moncton Fire Department says there are some tips people can follow to stay safe during the holiday season.
“Take a look at (decorations). Make sure that everything looks all good, that there’s nothing frayed,” said Charles. “We’d strongly suggest that people don’t use power bars (and) always look at their extension cords to make sure all their equipment is working.”
After making sure they’re usable, people are asked not to leave decorations on overnight or if they’re leaving their home.
Charles says it’s also important to keep Christmas trees watered so they don’t dry up, leading to risk of fire.
“They should be basically watered like a plant,” he says. “(It’s) very, very important they stay that way,” he added.
As for LeBlanc, she’s hoping others can learn from what happened to her and stay safe when decorating this season.
“Check everything well before you put it up,” says LeBlanc.
“I know; I’ve learned my lesson.”