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Take care with Christmas decorations warns Fire Service

December 2, 2011

Posted by Editor under Humberside Fire & Rescue

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THIS WEEK, Humberside Fire and Rescue Service is asking people to take extra care when decorating their homes for Christmas.

The message comes as part of a campaign to ensure that people have a safe and happy Christmas. For many people, December is the time when homes are decorated by bringing in a Christmas Tree, either real or artificial, putting up trimmings and lighting candles.

Daryl Oprey, Head of Safety at Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Although we would never ask people to not put up Christmas decorations, it’s important to be aware of the dangers we bring into our homes at this time of year to try to reduce risk of a fire starting. Christmas trees are often the focal point of festive decorations. Once a real tree has been brought into the warmth it can dry out very quickly, which can make it particularly susceptible to fire.”

Although it is rare for a Christmas tree to catch fire, keeping it watered will help keep the tree moist and reduce any risk of it setting fire along with keeping the tree looking its best for longer.

When decorating your tree make sure fairy lights carry the British Safety Standard sign, that sockets aren’t overloaded and that you turn off fairy lights at the mains before leaving the house or going to bed. It’s also important to ensure that any other decorations on the tree aren’t touching any of the bulbs.

When decorating the rest of your home think carefully about where you put your decorations. Don’t attach them to any electrical fixtures and fittings and keep them away from any heat sources.

When using candles, firefighters are urging people to make sure that they are never left unattended or left to burn overnight. They should always be kept out of the reach of children and pets and kept out of draughts and away from any fabrics or furniture that can catch fire.

Humberside Fire and Rescue Service has recently seen a candle product which featured straw around the base of the candle. Officers worked quickly with the manufacturers to remove the product from national sale however people are being asked to take care and think before lighting candles.

Keep candles on a heat-resistant surface and in a proper candle holder where possible and never place them on top of a television as they can get hot enough to melt plastic.

Mr Oprey said: “Faulty fairy lights, overloaded plug sockets and candles left unattended near combustible materials can all start fires. We want everyone to have a great Christmas, but would urge people to keep safety in mind too.”