Holiday fire awareness Published Dec. 2, 2008 Minot Air Force Fire Department MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- As the winter holidays approach, remember to use fire safety sense. It is especially important to pay close attention to potential fire hazards during the holiday season when there are more celebrations and distractions. Celebrations usually include candles, electric light decorations, greenery, parties, and lots of cooking which all increases the risk of fires. Cooking and Kitchen Safety - During the holiday season, kitchen use increases as everyone is busy preparing special treats and food for celebrations and parties. This is also a time when burn and fire injuries rise, especially in the kitchen. According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the US, so it is especially important to pay close attention when you are in the kitchen. Children need to be supervised in the kitchen, and taught how to handle appliances properly. Establish a "safe area" for younger children away from cooking appliances and potential dangers so that they can learn kitchen safety practices and know that these items are not toys. You can even partition off an area with colored tape. This will also limit unnecessary kitchen traffic around the stove and oven, making the area safer for everyone. Don't even leave young children unattended in the kitchen, even for a moment. As part of general kitchen safety, keeping a clean kitchen can reduce the chance of cooking fires. Keep all combustible material away from cooking appliances. Don't leave towels, sponges, pot holders, or paper and plastic products near the stove or any heating or hot appliances. Even curtains close to the stove should be removed or tied back. Preventing grease build-up on your stove top, exhaust fan and in your ovens, including microwaves can also prevent fires. Since cooking grease and oil are highly flammable, they can catch on fire easily and burn rapidly. You should clean all appliances regularly, and after spilling or dropping anything. If a fire were to start on the top of your stove, would you know what to do? Never throw water or flour on the fire because either of these could make the fire worse by spreading the flames. Instead, using potholders cover the pan with a tight fitting lid or larger pot to smother the fire, then turn off the heat and exhaust fan. Never attempt to carry a pan that is on fire. If something catches on fire in your oven or in your microwave oven, turn off the oven and leave the door closed. Opening the door allows more oxygen to reach the fire which helps the fire burn better. When cooking, wear well-fitted clothing because loose or long articles can easily catch on fire, and tie long hair back. Also, avoid having to reach over the stove. Store the items you use most frequently in cabinets to the side of the stove or in other areas of the kitchen instead of above or behind it. Definitely don't store treats or goodies nearby the stove, children might be tempted and climb on the top of the stove. Holiday lighting When decorating with lights, check for frayed or damaged cords and plugs. A string of lights with any loose bulb connections should be replaced immediately. If a bulb burns out, unplug the string of lights and replace the old one with a new bulb of the correct wattage as specified by the manufacturer. Never try to by pass an empty socket with aluminum foil or other objects if lights are missing from a set. Instead, place a new bulb in the socket, or replace the set of lights immediately. Always purchase lights that have been labeled by a testing laboratory (example - UL tested and approved), and follow manufacturers instructions on use. When plugging in lights never overload electrical outlets or string together more lights than recommended by the manufacturer. It is also best to use as few extension cords as possible. Avoid running light and extension cords under rugs because damaged cords may go unnoticed and cause a fire. For outdoor lighting, use only lights that are approved for outside. Use only insulated electrical tape to hold strings of lights in place and never tape or run cords over, under, or along metal eavestroughs or gutters. When running outdoor cords, keep them above ground in order to avoid snow and sitting water. It is also a good idea to turn the bulbs downward facing the ground to prevent moisture from entering the bulb sockets. When using any type of electrical decorative lighting, indoor or outdoor, always unplug them when leaving your home or going to sleep. Candles Open flame accounts for approximately 22,000 home fires a year in the US, which includes the use of candles. Candles are often used during the holiday festivities for decorative lighting and symbolic purposes, but can be extremely dangerous if precautions are not taken. Candles should always be placed in a stable holder, before lighting, away from any decoration or combustible materials, such as drapes or curtains. Candles should also be placed out of reach of children. Never leave candles burning unattended, even if you are in the next room, and always extinguish them before going to bed. If using a Menorah for Hanukkah or a Kinara for Kwanzaa, electric light models can be used instead of candles. Also there are specially designed Velcro flames that can be used, available at specialty stores. Trees and greens Approximately 600 fires per year in the US are caused by the ignition of Christmas trees, resulting in an average of 32 deaths. The primary cause of Christmas tree fires is electrical short circuits and ground faults. If using an artificial tree, make sure it is flame retardant. Metal and aluminum trees should never be decorated with lights are any type of electrical products since they are conductors of electricity. Get fresh with greens. When purchasing a Christmas tree, buy it as close to Christmas as possible to ensure that it is fresh. Other types of decorative greenery should be replaced every week. When choosing a Christmas tree, run your fingers over the branches and shake the tree limbs to check for shedding needles, a sign that the is too dry. Before putting the tree up in your home, make a fresh cut at the base of the trunk to allow for better water absorption. This also will help keep the tree fresh, and from getting too dry. Place the tree in a sturdy stand with plenty of water. Add water each day making sure that the water level is above the cut. Keep trees at least 3 feet away from any type of heat source. Remember to turn off decorations when leaving the house or going to bed. Fresh cut trees don't last forever, so be sure to dispose of your tree properly, immediately after the holidays. Most fire involving Christmas trees occur near or right after New Years day. Once a tree is removed from your home, place it away from the house and outside of a garage or shed since it only takes a few seconds for a dry tree to ignite and spread. Party perils Don't fall into any party pitfalls this holiday season. Parties are meant to be fun, not disastrous. When decorating for your holiday celebrations, be sure to use flame-retardant or non-combustible materials. Try to avoid decorating with candles, and if you are using candles on the table or in another supervised area make sure that there is sufficient space between the candles and other decorations. Smokers are another party concern. Smoking materials are the number one cause of fatal home fires, killing over 1,000 people a year, so extra precautions need to be taken at parties where smoking is allowed. Provide lots of stable, deep ashtrays for smokers to put out their cigarettes and cigars. After the party, check all over the house, especially under furniture cushions and in trash cans because cigarettes and cigars can smolder for hours without anyone noticing until one bursts into flames. When disposing of ashes, place them in a metal container, making sure that they are all extinguished and cooled. Don't let your party go up in flames, keep it contained and keep all matches and lighters out of reach of children.