The scenes during the holiday season are magical. Lights, candles and Christmas trees create peaceful glows throughout homes like no other time of the year. The displays, however, come with the added necessity for caution, especially around homes with pets and children.
A refresher course is always a good idea when it comes to safety. Take a moment to review these helpful suggestions to ensure a healthy, safe, and happy holiday season!
Fresh Tree Threats to Keep at Bay
•·Fresh trees are less likely to catch fire, so look for a tree with vibrant green needles that are hard to pluck and don’t break easily from its branches. The tree shouldn’t be shedding its needles readily.
•·Always place your tree away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights, and keep the tree base filled with water to avoid a dry out.
•·Make sure all your indoor and outdoor Christmas lights have been tested in a lab by the UL or ETL/ITSNA for safety, and throw out any damaged lights.
• Any lights you use outdoors must be labeled suitable for exterior placement, and be sure to plug them into a ground-fault circuit interrupter protected receptacle.
• Keep all your holiday candles away from your Christmas tree, surrounding furniture and décor.
• Bedtime means lights off! Don’t forget to turn your Christmas tree lights off each night.
When your tree begins to drop its needles, it’s time to say goodbye to your evergreen foliage. So this year, follow these guidelines to avoid being another statistic in the National Fire Protection Association or United States Fire Administration report during the upcoming holiday season.
Norwood Department of Public Works picks live Christmas trees curbside, so check the Town of Norwood website (www.norwoodma.gov) for the schedule the week after Christmas.
*These helpful hints come from the American Christmas Tree Association
Candles pose a severe threat with a live flame, and experience more fires during late fall and early winter seasons. According to Mass.gov, more candle fires occur between Halloween and New Year’s Eve than any other time of the year. In the past five years, more candle fires happened between Halloween and New Year’s Eve than competing months. In fact, Christmas Day has the 2nd most residential candle fires of any day during the year.
Candle Safety Tips
• Burn candles within a 1 foot circle, free of anything that can burn.
• Before you leave a room or the house, blow out candles. Never leave candles burning unattended.
• Always extinguish candles after use.
• Use a non-combustible saucer or candle holder.
• Keep candles out of reach of children and pets.
To be safe, consider using flameless candles. In the case of a power outage, flashlights and battery-powered lighting are always a better option.
*These helpful hints come from mass.gov