Preventing Holiday House Fires

According to the National Fire Prevention Association, house fires account for 38% of home fires during the holiday season. We spoke with the Meridian Fire Department Fire Chief who provided information on how you can prevent house fires during the Holidays.

"Be careful when you're hanging Christmas tree lights don't staple. If you're going to staple through the wire into the wood, sometimes that can cause problems shorts and try not to put too many strings of lights together on one circuit. Electrical is a lot of the problems that we see this time of year with either decorations or heating," stated Fire Chief, Jason Collier.

Electrical home fires are the fourth leading cause of house fires; with the cold front coming through many residents may look to using space heaters to stay warm.

"Be sure and use some safety precautions when it comes to using space heaters. And we recommend three feet around all space heaters, giving them adequate room so it doesn't have any issues with causing hazards with fire," explained Doug Stephens, Director of Public Safety.

Collier stated that Christmas tree fires are another that causes house fires that can be prevented by taking the necessary steps and following the biggest rule of all, keeping it watered.

"If you have a, you know, a real Christmas tree and a natural Christmas tree, make sure that you keep it watered. Oh, I know that's what everybody says. But water it daily, even if it's in front of like a central heating air vent, the heat and the air conditioning can draw a tree out. So it just makes it a lot worse. And so if you keep water standing in the bowl of a Christmas tree, it will help a lot," said Collier.

Although it is not a fire hazard, making sure your home is equipped with carbon monoxide detectors that work is just as important.

"When it gets really cold, people tend to try to insulate their houses. If they have, you know, a cold spot, they may try to put some plastic over the windows or towels around the bottoms of doors.

This that that that seals your house, you know, from the incoming cold. But it can also keep any kind of gases that you may not have had a problem with before it, like carbon monoxide. It can keep that in. So you need to make sure if you have any kind of gas-fired or wood-fired appliance, make sure you have carbon monoxide detectors that work," stated Collier.

House fires can be deadly and costly and can even result in home loss, by taking the time to identify and correct a problem can make all the difference.