Fire marshal urges caution during the holidays

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on December 13, 2024.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

With Holiday celebrations just around the corner where families get together to cook, eat and enjoy each other’s company, Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services is reminding residents to stay alert.
Troy Hicks, Chief Fire Marshal with LFES told reporters Thursday that during this time of the year it is common for them to respond to house fires that start in the kitchen, so he would like to remind everyone to never leave the stove unattended, especially if dealing with grease.
“We just want send a message out to the public reminding them of a lot of different hazards that happened over the holiday season. And just some different ideas and tips of what they can do to have a Merry Christmas, have a great holiday season, but also make sure they’re being safe while they’re doing that,” said Hicks.  
He talked about a variety of topics including cooking safety, decorations and decorating safety, fire escapes, clear exit paths and candle safety.  
“Some of the biggest things we want to remember when we’re cooking over the holiday season is just pay attention to what you’re doing. Lots of times, we’ll have a house full and people are in the kitchen cooking, they want to bring stuff out and mingle with everyone that’s out there and we’re not paying attention,” said Hicks.  
Apart from paying attention to the stove, Hicks also recommends not to wear loose fitting clothing while cooking.  
“Also, you want to make sure that if you’re cooking with grease it’s being attended, you don’t use water, have a fire extinguisher with you when you’re in the kitchen, if you don’t have a fire extinguisher, make sure you have a lid beside you when you’re cooking, especially when you’re cooking with grease,” said Hicks.  
He said everyone should have a fire extinguisher and know how to use it, but if they don’t and a fire starts on the stove, they can use the lid to put it out.  
“You can very quickly grab the lid, cover the fire, remove it off the burner and turn the burner off and move on,” said Hicks.  
He said that if the oven is the one being used to cook a turkey, or whatever else people will be cooking for Christmas, they should never leave the house while its cooking.  
“I know sometimes these items take a long time to cook, but please make sure someone is home. Heaven forbid you do have an issue and it does catch fire in your oven,” said Hicks. 
And if something does catch fire in the oven, Hicks said the key is to remain calm and keep the oven door closed.
“What we ask people is just don’t panic. Take a breath, hit the power button. Do not open the door. If you open the door, you’re going to have a rush of oxygen in there and the fire is going to get very large very quickly,” said Hicks.
He said if the oven door remains closed the fire will be put out in a matter of seconds as fire needs oxygen to burn.
“When it comes to decorating safety, make sure you have a look at all your items before you put them up on the tree or in the home. Make sure you look at your wires. You want to check and make sure that the lights are working, not a device like this where half are off and half are working,” said Hicks.  
He said people should also be checking extension cords to make sure they are not damaged and if they are to dispose of them.  
“Electrical fires happen quite often over the holiday season, so we want to make sure that we can minimize that risk by using proper cords that are intact. Preferably we’d rather see people use power bars instead of extension cords, but I do understand the amount of decorations people have and/or the layout of their homes an extension cord might be needed,” said Hicks.  
He explained that power bars should be plugged directly into the wall, never to an extension cord and to make sure neither becomes a tripping hazard.
“Don’t place it underneath of mats or carpets, you don’t need the risk that it could possibly start a fire,” said Hicks.
 When it comes to fire exits, Hicks said people need to make sure they are clear. Do not place multiple shoes and coats and other winter gear in front of the door as this may become a tripping hazard when trying to get out of the house and every second counts in those situations.
He added that no matter the age of those living in a household, everyone should know what to do when a fire happens, by having a fire escape plan.
Another safety tip Hicks shared about Christmas decorations is to make sure the lights are off when people leave their house or when they go to sleep, especially if they are using a real Christmas tree, which should also be kept watered to avoid having lights on a dry tree that could turn into kindle.
“Another issue we have lost during the holidays, which we already had once this year as well, is candle safety. We highly recommend battery operated candles more than a regular fire candle to reduce the risk. You just shut it off and turn it on. There are some that actually have a remote and they work great,” said Hicks.  
He said with real candles, people need to make sure they don’t leave them unattended and they are blown out when going to bed or leaving the house.  
“You want to make sure there is no risk of the candles either something bumping into it and falling over, or the curtains or drapes blowing on top of them if the window is open and the candle is close by as they can easily catch on fire,” said Hicks.

3
-2