Published on December 20, 2024
The Albany Fire Department's December Safety Message provides essential tips to ensure a safe holiday season, focusing on Christmas tree care, candle safety, and kitchen caution during festive cooking. It also highlights the department's Smoke Detector Program, offering free installations for elderly and disabled residents, and encourages community members to enhance emergency preparedness by participating in CPR and First Aid courses.
A cut Christmas tree is like a cut flower – neither will last very long without water. A tree purchased from a lot or cut on a tree farm can retain fire resistance if you follow these simple steps:
Even a properly cared for cut tree, will continue to dry out. Never leave a lit tree unattended. Remove the tree immediately after the holidays. Dispose of the tree by cutting it up into pieces no longer than five feet in length and putting it out with your garbage on your regular collection day for the two weeks following Christmas for pick-up. Never burn a cut, dried out Christmas tree in your wood burning stove or fireplace. The tremendous amount of heat released can severely damage even the best stove or fireplace.
Carefully check all electrical wiring before you install decorations. Check light sets for broken sockets and defective wiring. Use only UL approved OUTDOOR lights outdoors. Never use indoor lights outside or outdoor lights indoors. Turn off decorative lights when you leave the house or go to bed. Use miniature, low voltage lights on a tree. Standard size lights generate heat, which speeds up drying of the tree.
The use of candles is discouraged, but if they are used:\
Put discarded wrapping paper in the trash for collection – NEVER throw wrapping into a fireplace or wood-burning stove. They generate tremendous amounts of heat that can damage fireplaces and wood stoves. For more information on how to keep you and your family safe through the holidays, contact Albany Fire Prevention at 510-528-5775.
