Christmas Tree Safety
When choosing a tree for the holidays and beginning to decorate, it's important to keep in mind any possible hazards that may arise from the decorations. Below you will find a downloadable tips sheet with information on Christmas tree safety provided by the NFPA.
Holiday Safety Tips
The holidays are the perfect time for family get togethers, but it is important to remember to be weary of hazards that exist and especially ones that pertain to different holidays. Below you will find a downloadable safety tips sheet provided by the NFPA.
Christmas
During the holiday season, many types of decorations can present potential risk for fires. Below you will fire safety tips that are designed to help educate the public and ensure for family’s safety during the holiday seasons.
Holiday Safety Tips
The holidays are the perfect time for family get togethers, but it is important to remember to be weary of hazards that exist and especially ones that pertain to different holidays. Below you will find a downloadable safety tips sheet provided by the NFPA.
Seasonal Fire
Causes
Different Holidays have unique hazards that everyone should be aware of. The following section has tips on how to keep you and your family safe during the holiday seasons.
Halloween
Everyone loves carving pumpkins and lighting them up with candles and decorating their homes in spooky ways for trick or treaters. Unfortunately all of these activities can present potential hazards for fires. Educations and preparation can help keep adults and children safe and prepared during Halloween time.
Top Halloween Safety Tips
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Use a battery-operated candle or glow stick in jack-o-lanterns
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When choosing costumes, stay away from long trailing fabric
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Teach children to stay away from open flames, including jack-o-lanterns with candles in them.
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Dried flowers, cornstalks, and crepe paper catch fire easily. Keep all decorations away from open flames and other heat sources like light bulbs and heaters
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Remember to keep exits clear of decorations so nothing blocks escape routes. Make sure all smoke alarms are working.
Candle Safety
Candles can add a nice touch to any decorative display, but they create an added threat for a fire. Candles are an open flame and can be incredibly dangerous. It is important to pay close attention to them and know all the risks involved. Informative, downloadable sheet on candle safety provided by the NFPA can be found below.
Halloween Safety Tips
Take time to ensure the safety of adults and children alike during Halloween by learning different tips and tricks to stay safe when creating costumes and decorating your homes. A downloadable halloween safety sheet is available below, provided by the NFPA.
Thanksgiving
During the holidays, it is very important to practice safety when cooking in the kitchen. Often times, people will attempt to deep fry their turkeys for Thanksgiving dinner Improper technique for deep frying can lead to fires. Remember, by following a few simple safety tips, you can help keep you and your loved ones safe and continue to enjoy your time together.
Top Kitchen Safety Tips
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Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stove top so you can keep an eye on the food.
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Stay in the home when cooking your turkey, and check on it frequently.
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Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay three feet away.
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Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
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Keep knives out of the reach of children.
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Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
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Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children — up high in a locked cabinet.
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Never leave children alone in room with a lit candle.
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Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
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Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.
Thanksgiving Safety
Safety in the kitchen is important not only on Thanksgiving, but all year long. Below you will find a downloadable safety tips sheet provided by the NFPA.
Cooking Safety
Cooking creates an opportunity to become injured or cause a fire if not taking the proper precautions. Follow the tips below, provided by the NFPA, to ensure proper safety while cooking.
Fireworks & Grilling
Fireworks and grilling are common activities to partake in during the warmer months. Every year many people including children are injured by the improper use of fireworks and grills. Understanding the risks and how to prevent them will allow for enjoyment of fireworks and barbecues throughout the summer months.
Firework Safety
Fireworks impose a huge risk of injury if not done by professionals. Follow this guide provided by the NFPA on some safer alternatives to protect you and your loved ones from injury.
Grilling Safety
A grill can be used to create delicious meals but also pose for a fire hazard and a chance for injury if not used properly. Check out the safety tips provided by the NFPA to help reduce the risk of injury.
Wildfires
Thousands upon thousands of acres are lost each year to wildfires, and each year more and more people have to deal with the destruction that comes along with these fires as the number of people living in these areas at risk for wildfires are increasing. As the number of fires each year stay at a constant high, it is important that people know how these fires are started, the risks involved, and how to prepare for them incase they happen.
Home Preparation
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It’s important to prep your home for many types of natural disasters and emergencies that are prominent in your area. The primary threat to homes points to ember and small flames as the main ways homes ignite during wildfires. Embers are burning pieces of wood or vegetation floating through the air that can be carried more than a mile through the wind and can cause spot fires and ignite homes, debris and other objects if it comes in contact.
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There are many ways for homeowners to prepare their homes to withstand embers. Home Ignition Zones come from experiments, models and post-fire studies that have shown homes ignite due to the condition of the home and everything around it.
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Reduce Risk to Your Home During a Wildfire
This list is comprised of 7 different ways residents can reduce the risk to their homes and property during a wildfire. These 7 steps anyone can do and everyone is encouraged to take aprt is. The list is provided by the NFPA.
Prepare Your Home
When it comes to wildfires, it's important to know how to protect you and your family. In order to do so, you need to learn about the different ignition zones and how to protect your home in each zone. You can download a safety sheet provided by the NFPA below, that will teach you and your family all about risks of wildfires and how to prep your home.
Home Ignition Zone
The concept of the home ignition zone was developed by Jack Cohen in the late 1990s, following some breakthrough experimental research into how homes ignite due to the effects of radiant heat. The Home Ignition Zone is divided into three zones, immediate, intermediate, and extended zones.
Immediate Zone
The home and the area 0-5’ from the furthest attached exterior point of the home; defined as a non-combustible area. Science tells us this is the most important zone to take immediate action on as it is the most vulnerable to embers. START WITH THE HOUSE ITSELF then move into the landscaping section of the Immediate Zone.
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Clean roofs and gutters of dead leaves, debris and pine needles that could catch embers.
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Replace or repair any loose or missing shingles or roof tiles to prevent ember penetration.
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Reduce embers that could pass through vents in the eaves by installing 1/8 inch metal mesh screening.
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Clean debris from exterior attic vents and install 1/8 inch metal mesh screening to reduce embers.
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Repair or replace damaged or loose window screens and any broken windows Screen or box-in areas below patios and decks with wire mesh to prevent debris and combustible materials from accumulating.
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Move any flammable material away from wall exteriors – mulch, flammable plants, leaves and needles, firewood piles – anything that can burn.
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Remove anything stored underneath decks or porches.
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Landscaping/hardscaping- employing careful landscaping or creating breaks that can help influence and decrease fire behavior
Intermediate Zone
5-30’ from the furthest exterior point of the home. Landscaping/hardscaping- employing careful landscaping or creating breaks that can help influence and decrease fire behavior
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Clear vegetation from under large stationary propane tanks.
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Create fuel breaks with driveways, walkways/paths, patios, and decks.
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Keep lawns and native grasses mowed to a height of four inches.
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Remove ladder fuels (vegetation under trees) so a surface fire cannot reach the crowns.
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Prune trees up to six to ten feet from the ground; for shorter trees do not exceed 1/3 of the overall tree height.
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Space trees to have a minimum of eighteen feet between crowns with the distance increasing with the percentage of slope.
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Tree placement should be planned to ensure the mature canopy is no closer than ten feet to the edge of the structure.
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Tree and shrubs in this zone should be limited to small clusters of a few each to break up the continuity of the vegetation across the landscape.
Extended Zone
30-100 feet, out to 200 feet. Landscaping – the goal here is not to eliminate fire but to interrupt fire’s path and keep flames smaller and on the ground.
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Dispose of heavy accumulations of ground litter/debris.
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Remove dead plant and tree material.
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Remove small conifers growing between mature trees.
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Remove vegetation adjacent to storage sheds or other outbuildings within this area.
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Trees 30 to 60 feet from the home should have at least 12 feet between canopy tops.*
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Trees 60 to 100 feet from the home should have at least 6 feet between the canopy tops.*
Ignition Zone Checklist
Simple steps from roof to foundation to make a home safe from the risk oof embers and radiant heat. This check list has been provided by the NFPA.
10 Tips to Reduce Risk During a Wildfire
10 safety tips provided by the NFPA to help reduce the risk of wildfires. This list will help inform people of the risks that exist and how to reduce said risk to ensure the safety of you, your family, and even your community.