Glendale authorities warn of hidden hazards during the holiday season
The living room looked like any other during the holidays — a homey space dotted with old furniture and presents piled high beneath a Christmas tree. It took only 40 seconds for it all to be consumed by flames.
Each year, roughly 200 house fires are caused or made worse by Christmas trees. About four of those fires typically result in a fatality.
No one died in this fire, and it didn’t occur in a quaint suburban home. It was in the back of a shipping container in a Glendale industrial park.
The fire was ignited on purpose by members of the Glendale Fire Department at the Glendale Fire Training Center on West Chevy Chase Drive as part of a larger demonstration highlighting hidden hazards people may encounter during the holiday season.
After two minutes, the contents of the “living room” were mostly ash. The presents were all obliterated and a smoke detector that was furiously beeping during the blaze had partially melted off the ceiling.
“You can see the amount of destruction caused with one Christmas tree,” Glendale Fire Capt. Jon Payne said.
Payne said the department investigated about 10 fires last year that involved Christmas trees. Either the trees were the primary cause of the flames or helped fuel the fire, he said.
Contributing factors to a tree fire include a heating source being placed close by, overloaded electrical sockets and trees that have gone without water for a long time.
The tree that Glendale firefighters lit up spent two weeks drying out before being set ablaze by a toaster oven, according to Payne.
Preventing a fire can be as simple as regularly watering a tree and displaying it far away from a heating source. Having a tree professionally sprayed with flame-resistant flocking — a white substance with the appearance of snow — can also help prevent a fire.
Another holiday hazard is accidental poisonings, something that significantly affects children this time of year.
Cyrus Rangan, a physician with the California Poison Control System, said the flurry of activities in homes during the holidays can lead to decreased parental supervision.
“It also means that children are getting into substances that they should not be getting into,” he said.
Rangan said dangerous items can include broken holiday decorations, toy batteries, food from questionable sources and even marijuana products.
“No matter what you think about the legal or illegal aspects of it … it’s still a very poisonous substance to have around children,” he said.
Rangan said the ill effects of children consuming marijuana products, such as edibles, include an upset stomach and vomiting in addition to the drug’s disorienting effects.
If a child is suspected of ingesting a harmful substance, 911 should be called immediately .
He said that any potentially dangerous hazards or substances to children should always be kept out of sight and out of reach.
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
