Fire officials are sharing some safety reminders to ensure your holiday festivities stay merry and bright.
Oliver Fire Department’s Rob Graham says they’ve already seen an increase in fires over the past couple of weeks.
“Over Christmas holidays, we definitely see an uptick in a variety of fire calls, from cooking related to chimney fires to preventable issues,” said Graham.
As people cook up a Christmas feast, Graham says there are a lot more kitchen fires at this time of year.
“You definitely want to be careful with your hot oils, whether you’re cooking indoors or outdoors,” said Graham.
“Making sure you don’t have a turkey that’s still partially frozen, make sure they’re really well thawed out and dry.”
He went on to say that tinder-dry Christmas trees are another common fire starter.
“If you’ve got a live tree this year, you want to make sure that you keep it well watered,” he added.
“We see less issues with Christmas tree fires with LED lights, but also, you want to make sure that the wires are not exposed, you don’t have pets that might be chewing on the wires. Inspect them periodically, just making sure they’re free and clear.”
Some more tips from the Oliver Fire Department include:
- Ensure space heaters are working properly, and are a safe distance away from clothing, bedding and Christmas trees.
- Check your smoke alarms to ensure they are working.
- Make sure chimneys are cleaned out before using a fireplace.