Officials Urge Fire Precautions at Holiday Time

It seems to make sense that you unplug your Christmas tree lights before you go to bed at night, but firefighters in Orange County say too many fires erupt each year because people forget to follow basic precautions during the holiday season.

“It is a dangerous time of year,” said Capt. Scott Brown of the Orange County Fire Authority. “We have a tendency to bring a whole bunch of combustibles in the house. Those fires burn very intensely and very quickly.”

Firefighters say that almost every aspect of home decorating--inside and out--carries with it a potential for disaster.

That’s mainly because the decorations themselves can catch fire quickly and because people have to learn new routines, like turning off the lights.

Christmas tree fires alone break out in 500 homes nationwide and cause $20 million worth of damage a year, safety experts say. So the first errand of the season, they say, is the most important.

“The first critical step you make is when you go to that tree lot and pick your tree,” Brown said.

Pick a fresh one with a resinous trunk and green needles that are hard to pull off. The trunk should be newly cut. Test the tree by bouncing it once or twice on the ground, experts say. If a lot of needles fall off, the tree is too dry. Once home, make sure the tree has plenty of water every day.

Keep your tree away from radiators, fireplaces and heating vents because they will dry out your tree quickly, making it a fire hazard. And don’t block exits from a room or building with the tree.

Fire retardant on trees can be that “ounce of prevention,” Brown said, but it’s not foolproof. While the retardant may stop a fire on the tree, it does not keep wrapping paper, ornaments or other fire-prone decorations from going up in flames.

Fire retardant is mandatory for public displays of trees, such as those in schools or offices, Brown said.

Vendors who fire-proof their trees need to be licensed by the state fire marshal and the retardant needs to be approved by the state as well.

Lights are the real fire-starters, and the cords and sockets need to be checked for wear and corrosion, especially for outdoor lights.

Brown said some people leave outdoor lights on their houses all year for convenience, but firefighters discourage doing so.

Exposure to the weather can eat away at the insulation and crack sockets, causing fires when the lights are turned back on in December.

Metallic trees should never have lights attached because a short in the circuit can charge the entire tree, electrocuting anyone who touches it.

“The general rule of thumb is that if there is any question at all, you should throw [the lights] away,” he said. “They’re very inexpensive.”

If a tree does catch fire, he said, cut off the electricity at the switch that controls the socket, he said. Then dial 911.

Combustible materials should be kept away from the tree so that any fire can be better contained.

Decorations and wrapping paper can also be fire hazards and firefighters warn that the paper burns very intensely and quickly.

Burning the debris of gifts in the fireplace can cause a flash-fire that quickly goes out of control.