The holiday season is a time for special celebrations among families and friends.  The Charlotte Fire Department wants you to enjoy the holiday season safely. Enclosed are safety tips that could prevent the Grinch from visiting your home over the holidays!

Before you leave home for the holidays

Preventing Holiday Tree Fires

· When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label fire resistant. Although this label does not mean the tree won't catch fire, it does indicate the tree will resist burning.

·Needles on fresh cut trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Bouncing the tree trunk on the ground can identify old trees; if many needles fall the tree has dried out and poses a fire hazard.

• Never place the tree near a heat source including a fireplace or heat vent; this will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks.
• Upon arriving home make a fresh cut 2-3 inches above the old one and secure your tree in a sturdy non-tip over stand. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.
• Never place the tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood-burning stove.  When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly.

Holiday Lights
Maintain your lights by inspecting them each year for frayed wires, bare spots, and gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets. Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory.

Do not overload electrical sockets; do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Make sure to periodically check the wires- they should not be warm to the touch.                                   

Fireplaces
Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten by children or pets.

Never burn a tree in a fireplace. Dry Christmas trees burn very hot and extremely quick.  A Christmas tree is very oily and may damage your fireplace.

Never burn wrapping papers in the fireplace.  A flash fire may result as the papers ignite suddenly and burn intensely as well as spreading sparks up the chimney that could ignite brush fires. 

Candle Safety

• Keep candles away from items that can catch fire, clothing, paper, Christmas trees, combustible greenery and flammable decorations.

  Never leave candles burning unattended

  Place candles on a sturdy, uncluttered, non-combustible surface where they will not be knocked over by children or pets. Never place lit candles in windows or on Christmas trees.

  Never leave a child unattended in a room with a lit candle; a child or teenager should never sleep in a room with a lit candle.  Store candles, matches and lighters out of children's reach.

 Safety Gift Ideas  

Fire and life safety items make great Holiday gifts. Put together a gift basket containing one or more of the following items: 

• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, one for each level of the home
• An ABC multipurpose fire extinguisher
• A second floor escape ladder
• A flashlight with batteries or light sticks
• An "emergency kit"- energy bars, water, battery powered radio, flashlight and a first aid kit 

General Safety Precautions: 

• Test and install fresh batteries in your Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarms.
• Design and discuss your home fire escape plan.
• Practice a home fire drill with your family
• Always check after friends come over for improperly discarded smoking materials
• Before leaving the home for the holidays check to see that all unnecessary  appliances are unplugged or shut off