This safety series is designed to help you prepare your family for life’s emergencies — big and small—and keep you as safe and healthy as possible when Mother Nature or life throws the unexpected your way. Take the next minute to help make you and your family safer.
Put a Freeze on Holiday Fires
It’s fun to decorate for the winter holidays, but holiday decorations can increase your risk for a home fire. As you deck the halls this season, be fire smart.
- Connect no more than three strands of mini-light sets.
- Connect no more than 50 bulbs for screw-in light sets.
- Two out of five home decoration fires are started by candles.
- Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that burns.
- Although live Christmas tree fires are not common, when they do occur, they are dangerous. On average, one out of every 40 reported home Christmas tree fires results in death.
- A heat source too close to the Christmas tree causes one in every six tree fires.
- Make sure your tree is at least 3 feet away from the heat sources such as fireplaces, radiators, space heaters, candles or heat vents.
- Get rid of your tree after Christmas or when it is dry.
For more information on how to prevent winter fires, visit usfa.fema.gov/winter and nfpa.org/winter.
60-Second Safety is provided by Johnson County Community Organizations Active in Disasters.
