Holiday Fire Safety Tips

The Chapel Hill Fire Department is trying to keep people safe for the holidays.

Behind Thanksgiving, the Christmas holiday is the second most dangerous time of the year for house fires.

Todd Iager, deputy chief fire marshal, said one way to keep safe is by making sure your Christmas tree remains watered.

“The secret here is you have to keep the tree wet, ” he said. “The energy, and that’s what we have to think about, fire isn’t just smoke or flame it’s energy, the energy coming off from a dry Christmas tree burning can equate to about the power of a freight train locomotive.”

He said he encourages people to look at videos of dry Christmas tree fires on YouTube to get an idea of how these fires can spread.

“Most people are absolutely flabbergasted at the type of  fire spread and how quick this occurs and how quick it causes the rest of the room to become engulfed in flames,” he said.

Besides just keeping the tree watered, Iager said to be careful with Christmas lights and other flammable objects.

“I don’t go too long on my house with Christmas lights,” he said. “Especially how they’re bent, they’re twisted, they’re tied together, they’re put in storage and hung on nails and hooks. I encourage people to make sure you have good lighting to put on there.”

He said to keep candles away from your tree as well.

The largest amount of house fires start in the kitchen. Iager said the best way to prevent that is to not cook distracted.

“When people come over make sure you turn the stove off,” he said. “Make sure you keep anything that can burn away from the stove, make sure you keep your kids away from the stove and make sure you’re taking care of the safety in the kitchen before you get distracted whether it’s having a drink with relatives or giving somebody a hug.”