Prevent Holiday Fires
According to the National Fire Protection Association, 860 home fires are caused by holiday decorations, while an additional 210 home fires are caused by Christmas trees per year. Taking preventative measures when cooking, heating, and decorating can help prevent fires while you enjoy this festive time of year.
ESFI’s website offers a variety of free resources that can be shared with your family, workplace, and community. Follow our tips to prevent electrical and fire hazards as you enjoy the holiday season:
• Set The Table For Safety – Holiday Cooking Safety
• Home Cooking Fire Prevention Tips
• Home Heating Fire Prevention Tips
• 12 Winter Holiday Safety Tips
• In The Right Light – Decorate Your Home Safely During The Holidays
• Holiday Fire Prevention: It’s the Gift That Keeps on Giving
• Wrapping up the Holidays: Preventing Winter Fires
• Visit holidaysafety.org for our full suite of holiday resources
Holiday Safety Video Shorts
Statistics show that the incidence of home fires and electrical accidents typically increases during the winter holiday season. To combat this, ESFI has created holiday safety video shorts to help consumers prevent household fires and accidents caused by improper cooking, heating, and holiday decorating practices:
• Candle Safety – Video Short
• Christmas Tree Safety – Video Short
• Electric Blanket Safety – Video Short
• Holiday Light Safety – Video Short
• Outdoor Decoration Safety – Video Short
• Space Heater Safety – Video Short
• Cooking Safety – Video Short
• Evitar Incendio en la Cocina
Electric Blanket Fire Prevention
Heating pads and electric blankets cause around 500 fires each year. Almost all of these fires involve electric blankets more than ten years old.
• Heating appliances should never be left unattended or used while sleeping
• Do not plug electric blankets into an extension cord or power strip, as they could overheat and cause a fire
• Look for dark, charred, or frayed spots or electrical cords that are cracked or frayed. Replace any worn or old heating pads or electric blankets
• Never fold electric blankets when in use. Folded or tucked-in electric blankets could overheat and cause a fire
• When purchasing electronics, including electric blankets, be sure to only purchase from reputable retailers. Purchase devices that have been approved by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory
• Do not allow anything to rest on top of a heating pad or electric blanket when it is in use. It may cause the device to overheat
• There are two types of personal heating appliances, heating pads that are placed directly on the mattress and electric blankets. They are not meant to be used interchangeably or at the same time.
Happy Holidays From ESFI
This isn’t just the time of year that we eat more than usual; it’s also the time when we have the most household accidents and fires.
To help make sure your holidays don’t go from merry to scary, remember the twelve holiday safety tips at the link below.
From the ESFI family to yours, have a safe and happy holiday season!
Thank you for all you do to make your community a safer place!
Sincerely,
Electrical Safety Foundation International
