Don't keep home fires burning

CELINA - For many people, Christmas means decorating with lights, picking the perfect tree and preparing huge holiday meals.

But there is another topic residents should be mindful of this time of year - the potential for fires.

"Traditionally, home-cooking fires is number one," said Celina Fire Chief Doug Wolters of the main cause of fires. "Electric is number two because … a lot of people blow breakers, they reset the breaker and then it trips again. They keep on doing that. There's a reason the breaker is tripping, so you need to investigate why that is."

Overloaded electrical sockets and bad wiring can cause breakers to blow and start a fire, Wolters said. Cooking-related fires typically occur because someone leaves the stove on and walks away or leaves it unattended, he said.

In Ohio, smoking is the number one cause for fire fatalities, but cooking-related home fires increased from 391 in November of 2019 to 434 in November of 2020, according to information from the Ohio Department of Insurance.

To reduce the risk of fire, don't leave any cooking area unattended, set a timer, maintain a kid-free zone of three feet around the stove or areas where hot food or drinks are being prepared and keep paper towels and napkins away from hot surfaces, according to the state department of insurance. Also, never deep fry a turkey in the garage; instead do it outside away from the home and wooden structures and have a fire extinguisher nearby.

Wolters said he doesn't see a lot of fires related to real Christmas trees, but people should still keep candles away from a tree and use LED lights to decorate them because the lights don't generate heat.

"If you can, use a power strip because it has a breaker on it," Wolters said. "Watch for overloading the circuit … the power strip will help protect that, too."

Doug Hundley, National Christmas Tree Association spokesperson, said though Christmas-tree related fires are uncommon, people should nonetheless ensure trees don't dry out and get rid of any faulty wiring or decorations.

"Christmas trees don't catch on fire by themselves. They have to be set on fire by something else," Hundley said. "The most common thing that can happen (to ignite a tree) is old wiring and old light bulbs. To replace old wiring is essential, and to respect candles around a tree."

One of every three home Christmas tree fires is caused by electrical problems, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Christmas tree fires are more serious than typical home fires in that one out of every 31 reported Christmas tree fires results in a fatality. On average, just one in 144 typical home fires do, according to the association.

Hundley said it's important to keep a Christmas tree fresh so it won't catch fire.

"The problem is when people let their Christmas trees dry out, and then they do set them on fire, it's a fast burn," he said.

If a Christmas tree does catch fire, it also can ignite nearby wrapped gifts and curtains, he said.

"Where you put the tree has a lot to do with the tree staying fresh," Hundley said. "Basically, a Christmas tree is like a cut flower and it will continue taking up water and staying fresh for a very long time if the bottom of that tree continues taking up water."

Hundley explained the sap of any conifer is gummy. If the water level in the tree stand goes below the bottom of the tree - within two or three hours - the bottom of the tree can seal off and make water uptake by the tree impossible.

"That's why we have to encourage people to check their water level daily. Once you get a tree percolating with water, it'll stay quite fresh," he said.

A real Christmas tree should be placed in an area that does not receive direct sun, is not near a fireplace and is not near a heater or anything that would force the moisture out of the tree quickly, Hundley said.

That means keeping it away from heat sources, sunny windows and candles.

According to a news release from the U.S. Fire Administration, people should water their live Christmas tree every day, use the right lights, replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. People also should choose holiday decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant, extinguish lit candles and turn off all lights when leaving the room or going to bed and make sure decorations don't block windows and doors.

"If you lose control of the freshness and the tree gets seriously dry, take it down early," Hundley said. "You don't have to keep it up if you get afraid of it. Everybody has their own risk level."