Reminder: Put safety first this holiday season!

West Memphis Fire Department offers tips for cooking, heating By John Rech

news@theeveningtimes.com

With Christmas dinner plans and holiday get-togethers on family calendars, the West Memphis Fire Department provided a friendly reminder to stay safe during the holiday season. The holidays can be some of the busiest days of the year at the fire station because of kitchen fires. As the weather turns cold, calls for fires caused by space heaters rise. Christmas decorations sometimes overload the house hold electricity causing fires. Division Chief Jeff Carter wished everyone happy holidays and told citizens ‘tis the season to beware of household safety hazards.

Cautions for holiday celebration centered on cooking the big dinner.

“If you have children or have invited grandchildren over be sure to have a kids free zone around the stove and oven,” said Carter. “Its a safety zone of another three feet away from the stove. Make sure all the skillet and pot handles are turned inward so they aren’t knocked off.”

Turkey frying needs to be outside and on a hard surface.

“A lot of people are doing it in the garage and therefore we get a lot of garage fires,” said Carter. “You don’t want to leave it unattended.

You want to make sure it’s outside, and properly ventilated. Check the propane tanks for leaks; make sure all the fittings are secured.”

Deep fried turkeys bring a unique set of hazards. The chief said always monitor the pot and fry turkeys outside in well ventilated area.

“Make sure the turkey is not wet when it hits that hot grease,” said Carter. “Have the right amount of cooking oil in the fryer so the hot grease doesn’t overflow when you put the turkey in.”

Some common sense and taking a moment to read the label on lights and decorations help a home resident decide where to place decorations according to the chief.

“The biggest thing with decorating is that everyone chooses decor that is flame resistant or flame retardant,” said Carter.

“You want to keep lit candles away from other things that could burn.

Some lights are labeled for indoor or outdoor use but not both. We want you to make sure you are using the proper lighting in the right places.”

Carter said checking the light strings ahead of time improves the display and reduces fire hazards. The chief recommended buying lights that had been came with a UL or independent test lab label.

“Inspect the light strings for loose or broken bulbs,” said Carter.

“Make sure the wires are not worn or broken or have any loose connections. Limit mini lights to three connected strands. If you use screw-in type bulbs limit connected strands to 50 bulbs.”

Leaving the Christmas lights on around the clock was not recommended.

“Always turn off the tree lights when going out or going to bed,” said Carter. “The tree is so tranquil and you fall asleep to it but at the same time we want everyone safe.”

Christmas is big with children.

“If you are going to have kids helping to decorate, make sure they are safe also,” said Carter. “Make sure you don’t have any broken ornaments.”

Indoor lights have electrical limits too.

“Make sure you don’t use a lot of extension cords. Position the tree near the electrical outlet to minimize the use of extension cords.”

Christmas trees need thoughtful safety consideration too. Carter gave a three point reminder.

“Picking the tree, placing the tree and lighting the tree,” said Carter. “If you have a live tree pick one that is fresh cut, green, and the needles don’t fall of the tree to the touch. Secondly, before placing the tree in the stand you cut an inch and one half off the base. Make sure the tree is away from heating vents, and radiator and other heat sources like space heaters.”

Space heaters come with a simple rule of thumb, “I always say space heaters need space,” said Carter. “If you do use space heaters., use those with the safety feature that if it tips over, it shuts off.”

Space heaters for sale this year should have that automatic shutoff feature built in.

“You still have some of those models that don’t have that feature,” said Carter. “Check your used heaters for frayed cords and don’t plug them into extension cords because those could heat up. Always plug them directly into the socket. Make sure there is space between the heater and furniture. You definitely don’t want close around the Christmas tree, especially a live one because it quickly deplete its moisture.

With company over for the holidays, keep people a few feet from the space heaters too.”

Carter added, “Make sure trees have adequate support so it wont tip over.”