HARLINGEN — It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but the Christmas holidays also bring a higher risk of fires.
“Fires are among the most common home-related dangers to be aware of during the holidays,” said Joyce Cavanagh, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension service disaster assessment and recovery specialist.
For example, the National Fire Protection Association has identified Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day as the three days of the year when most candle fires occur.
Dried out Christmas trees and electrical shorts in the strings of lights wrapped around them can be a deadly combination. Overloading an electrical wall socket with multiple plugs is another fire waiting to happen. But these aren’t the only fire risks during the holidays.
Lt. Richard Alvarez is fire inspector for the Harlingen Fire Department.
“We have very limited structure fires during this time because most people are at home around this time of year,” he said. “Unattended cooking fires still do occur around this time.”
This being Christmas week, Alvarez said it’s not too late to make sure heating and furnace systems are working properly.
“Also make sure if they’re going to use their chimneys, to make sure they’ve been properly cleaned,” Alvarez said. “Make sure their wood is dry wood, dried and seasoned wood, for that chimney.”
“If they’re using space heaters, they need to make sure they plug those space heaters directly into the wall socket,” he said. “Don’t use any extension cords for a long period of time.”
Alvarez also advises people not to get distracted by all the holiday events in the household and to be constantly aware of surroundings when it comes to space heaters, chimneys, tree lighting and anything that might spark a fire.
“Make sure there’s a three-foot area around it if they’re using a space heater,” he said. “Make sure there are no blankets in close proximity.”
And it’s not too late to swing by a hardware store or big-box retailer to pick up a good fire extinguisher when out Christmas shopping.
“It’s always good to have a fire extinguisher within easy reach inside the home and to know how to use it,” AgriLife’s Cavanagh said. “Being vigilant about possible fire hazards around the house can help ensure you will have a safer and happier holiday season.”
