MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) - Fires can happen anywhere and anytime but mostly unexpected.
Josh Egbert, communications manager for the American Red Cross, states, “We all love to decorate for the holidays, but December is a peak time where we do see an increase in home fires because of candles and holiday decorations.”
Charles Balke, the Palisade Fire Department chief, states, “This becomes dangerous when they're left unattended or in areas where, if they tip over, they can ignite ordinary combustibles, papers, cloth napkins or table runners, things of that nature.”
Egbert tells WesternSlopeNow the best recommendation to keep fires at a minimum is to water your live tree daily and fray your holiday lights.
“One of the biggest safety concerns is overloading the circuitry,” Balke states.
Balke tells WesternSlopeNow along with overloading the electrical circuits, ways to protect your home include not using any low-grade extension cords, avoiding any areas of precipitation and putting your lights on timers so energy isn't being used all day.
“We see things involving the chimney, simply because weather is starting to get colder now, people are starting to like their chimneys, and whether or not they've had them cleaned in the past, we recommend every couple years getting it cleaned out,” Balke said.
Balke also mention that there are two different types of extension cords for using holiday lighting, one for outside and one for indoors but there is another thing to look out for.
Egbert states, “Sit down with your family. Make sure that, you know escape routes out of the house. Make sure you can get out of the house in under two minute, and you have two different ways to get out as well. Make sure that you have smoke alarms on every level of your home.”
Fire officials also tell WesternSlopeNow that the holiday can be a stressful time of the year, despite all of the joy in the air. But Balke tells WesternSlopeNow that taking deep breaths for 10 seconds can make holiday tasks easier.
Balke states, “We don't want to see people having a bad time when this is supposed to be a very joyous time of year. Be with friends, be with family, be present.”