Glasgow, Woodburn fire departments talk fire safety this Christmas

BOWLING GREEN. Ky. – The holidays are a time of joy and family fun, but there’s always that possibility that things could go up in smoke.

The National Fire Protection Association put out some statistics surrounding house fires recently. Surprisingly enough, from 2016 to 2020, around 160 fires broke out due to Christmas trees, and just shy of 800 fires broke out due to other decorations from 2015 to 2019.

Those are fairly high numbers being that decorations are only up for a month or two.

While it might fit your aesthetic, you could be risking your home by keeping all those lights on overnight. The NFPA spokesperson, Susan Mckelvey, said, while it may look pretty at night, it can pose a danger leaving all those lights on unattended.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with lights, but you need to have the proper type of extension cords and diversify your outlets.

Bob Skipper, chief of the Woodburn Volunteer Fire Department, said he’s seen people with “six or seven extension cords coming out of one outlet,” which can overload the outlet and, ultimately, the breakers.

Skipper also said, “With the way houses are made today, and with many furnishings being made out of petroleum products, fires can spread very quickly.”

Holiday craziness also affects the kitchen, where most house fires start year round.

Battalion chief Lucas Tinsley of the Glasgow Fire Department said to News 40, “It’s important to make sure your pots and pans handles aren’t hanging off the stove where a small child could run by and knock it over.”

He also added that you don’t want to use water to put out a grease fire, as the oil or grease will only float on the water and cause the fire to spread. As an alternative, he said to make sure your lids are always close by and you can use baking soda to smother a fire.

And both Mckelvey and Skipper reaffirmed that if you have a live tree, make sure it’s watered every day. Christmas trees dry out quickly in the house, so the chance for them to catch fire can be high if your lights aren’t up to par or they’re too close to a heat source, such as a fireplace or space heater.