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“As everyone gets busier during the holidays, we often become rushed, distracted or tired,” Fire Chief Denis McCarthy said in a statement. “That’s when home fires are more likely to occur.”
Here's a few suggestions to keep family and friends safe during the holidays:
- Never leave the kitchen while frying, grilling or broiling food. Unattended cooking as the leading cause of U.S. home fires and home fire injuries.
- Whenever possible, use flameless candles. Keep real candles at least one foot away from anything that can potentially burn.
- Make sure artificial trees are labeled or certified as flame retardant.
- Make sure to pick a healthy tree that doesn't have excessive needle shedding, and water the tree daily.
- Make sure Christmas trees aren't blocking an exit point.
- Replace lights with loose bulbs or frayed wires.
- Make sure to turn off decorative lights before going to bed.
- Make sure to dispose of real trees promptly after Christmas. Dry trees pose an even greater fire hazard.
Click here for more holiday tips.
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