Fire officials encourage safety during holidays

As the holiday season approaches fire officials ask Lawrence Countians heed their warnings about fire safety.

Fire safety is always a concern, but with cooler temperatures, holiday decorations and dinners, the risks only increase during this season.

According to the Ohio Division of State Fire Marshal, during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays there are statistically more cooking-related house fires.

“Once (people) understand this, they will understand that they need to be more vigilant,” said Donald Cooper, interim state fire marshal. “Good fire safety habits at this time of year will help prevent many fires around the home.”

In fact, cooking is the leading cause of fires in Ohio and accounts for more than 80 percent of residential fires on Thanksgiving, according to the fire marshal’s office. On Christmas Day, cooking accounts for 30 percent of fires in the state.

Not only are cooking-related fires increased during the holiday season, but cold temperatures can mean more heating-related fires.

Every winter, the Perry Township Volunteer Fire Department responds to between six and 10 heating-related fires, chief Dewey Derifield said.

Derifield said the fires start as soon as the weather turns cold.

“(People are) starting the fireplaces up for the first time and sometimes forget to clean out the chimney,” he said. “With the prices of utilities going up they may try to use space heaters.”

When using an electric heater, Derifield recommends turning it off when leaving the house. He also warned the consumers should purchase a heater with a tip-over switch, which turns off the device when it is tipped over.

The fire marshal’s office advises further that portable heaters should not be used in an unoccupied room or at night while people are asleep. The heaters should not be used with an extension cord or near water.

Holiday decorations can also increase the risks of fire.

According to statistics released last year by the fire marshal’s office, since 2000, nine deaths and more than $2 million in damages were reported in the state as a result of fires starting on or around Christmas trees or holiday decorations.

The fire marshal’s office recommends buying lights with a label from a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL) and use the lights according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

When picking out a live Christmas tree, choose a tree with needles that are flexible and hard to pull off the branch. The tree trunk should be sticky to the touch.

A tree that has needles that fall off easily when bounced has been cut long ago and is probably dried out. This kind of tree is a fire hazard.

A local problem

With eight fire-related deaths this year, Lawrence County has a .013 percent per capita fire death rate – the highest in the state. The next highest per-capita rate is Adams County with .011 percent. Scioto County has a 0.007 percent per capita fire death rate.

That rate prompted officials from the state fire marshal’s office recently to meet with several fire departments in Lawrence County.

“The fire departments and safety leaders have come together to highlight the importance of communicating this message to our fellow citizens,” Cooper said. “We believe the impact of this message is so great – so important – that we have made this a priority. “Many of these fire deaths and fire-related injuries are preventable. Through the media, through education and with time, we hope to drastically reduce the number of tragic incidents in Lawrence County.”

Over the past three years, there have been nine fatal fires that claimed 14 lives in Lawrence County. Fire investigators could not confirm that any of the houses involved had smoke detectors.

National fire prevention statistics indicate that many of those deaths could have been prevented, had the residence been equipped with a detector, Cooper said.

“(Smoke detectors) are a must,” Derifield said. Derifield advised having several detectors on all levels of your home including in your bedrooms. Should a fire break out, the residents have only a matter of minutes to get out, he said.

Most fatal fires occur when the residents are sleeping, Cooper said.

“Smoke alarms give people a chance to escape,” Cooper said. “In fact, statistics show it doubles the chances of escaping a fire. A smoke alarm is the most important safety device in your home when you are asleep.”

Tips for fireplaces and wood burning stoves

• Allow a clearance between wood burning stoves and combustible materials.

• Wood stoves should be placed on approved stove boards to protect floors from heat and hot coals

• Make sure the flue is open before lighting a fire and never close the flue while a fire is still smoldering.

• Use a fireplace screen to prevent any sparks from reaching out and igniting nearby objects.

• Never use gasoline or lighter fluid to start a fire.

• The immediate area in front of a fireplace should not have a rug, carpet or exposed wood flooring

• Burn only dry seasoned wood and dispose of the cooled ashes in a closed metal container outside and away from your home.

• Never leave a fire burning unattended in the fireplace.

Tips for portable space heaters

• When buying a space heater, look for a control feature that automatically shuts off the power if the heater falls over.

• Never leave a heater on when you are not in the room or when you go to sleep, and do no leave children or pets unattended around any heating source. Unplug the heater when you are not using it.

• Don’t use an extension cord with an electric portable heater.

• Don’t plug more than one heating device into an outlet.

• Never use electric heaters near water – as in your bathroom or near a water heater.

Cooking tips

• Stay in the kitchen when cooking food. If you must leave the room, turn off the stove.

• Have a safety zone and keep children and pets three feet away from the stove and oven.

• Never hold a small child while cooking.

• Have a dry chemical fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire.

• Avoid wearing loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking

Decorations and trees

• Decorative candles should be secured and kept away from material that could easily ignite. Candles should be extinguished before leaving the house or going to bed.

• Live Christmas trees should be as fresh as possible.

• Use replacement bulbs with the correct wattage, and replace light sets and extension cords that are worn or cracked.