It’s a holly jolly time to be setting up exterior lights on your home for the holidays however individuals should remember that there are some fire safety concerns to keep in mind this holiday season. Price City Fire Chief Fitzgerald Petersen wants to make sure that this holiday season is safe for all residents in the Carbon County area.
When hanging up exterior lights on your home it’s important to have a plan and all your lighting ready to go. “You’re going to find obstacles when you get up there but having a plan before you get up there is going to save you in the long run. So we want you on the ladder as little as possible and that preplanning is going to help you. Make sure you know your strands, how long they are, are they long enough. Is your extension cord appropriate, is it an outdoor extension cord for example and are you able to keep it away from the weather and water as much as possible,” said Chief Petersen. It’s a great idea to plan your design beforehand so that you know what and where you will be hanging lights.
Whether your tree is artificial or fresh it’s important to not place your tree near heat sources such as fireplaces, heat vents, radiators or candles. “That’s by kill-joy thing, its fireworks in the summer and in the winter it’s candles. I worry about the candles, I’ve had a lot of experience with candles going array, it’s a lot of it has to do with it not being attended, not being aware of where you started to light the candle and where you put it, and pets, oh my gosh pets and children, they are a hazard they just have to be, you just have to be very careful with them,” stated Chief Petersen. Another important factor to remember is to never overload extension cords because this can also become a fire hazard and never run cords across walk areas as this can pose a tripping hazard.
If you choose to put up a fresh cut tree in your home there are some extra precautions that need to be taken. “Throughout the years we go on more medical calls than I do fire calls, which is great as far as fires are concerned but even then, we check people’s trees while we’re in their home and very often you will find them dry. Just a general rule of thumb is that a six-foot tree needs about a gallon of water every two days, that’s a lot of water. People don’t dissipate that particularly when you change the environment for the tree,” said Chief Petersen. It’s important to cut an inch or two up from the trunk before you set up it up in your home so that the tree is able to absorb water.
The members of the Price City Fire Department would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.