When you think of Christmas, presents, decorations and fun probably spring to mind much quicker than fire hazards.
But the reality is that Christmas is a very risky time for fires – Direct Line Insurance say that, in the UK, there’s a 12% spike in fire service callouts on Christmas Day compared to the monthly average. And in every day in December sees an average of 734 fires.
Here are the main festive fire culprits to know about.
1. Faulty or broken fairy lights
Safety manager Elizabeth Lumsden suggests you check the fairy lights draped on your tree, as they can be a fire risk if they’ve been broken since last Christmas. LED lights are a safer option than incandescent lights, as they don’t need heat to create light, so are less likely to ignite any flammable Christmas decoratons.
"Carefully consider if you need a new set of Christmas tree lights this year and always check for any bulbs that have blown, replacing them immediately," advises Lumsden.
2. Not concentrating in the kitchen
Most fires start in the kitchen and one of the most common causes is getting distracted while cooking. Never leave cooking unattended and always turn off kitchen appliances when you’ve finished cooking.
Be mindful of your drinking*, especially if you’re cooking dinner.
3. Candles
Although real fluttering flames can help give a Christmassy feel to your home, it’s much safer – and pretty realistic – to use LED candles instead.
Lumsden says: "There’s no need for real flames these days with the availability of lovely LED candles that can be used instead, But if you do use real candles, make sure they’re placed well away from the tree and other decorations, including Christmas cards."
Never leave burning candles unattended and remember to keep them out of of the reach of children, and away from decorations, cards and wrapping paper, fires, lights, and heaters.
4. Overloaded electrical sockets
Overloaded electrical sockets or extension leads can be a fire hazard, and Lumsden recommends T-bar adaptors with surge protectors as the safest to use when plugging in the tree lights with additional appliances and electrical toys over Christmas.
"But switch them off and unplug during the night or when you leave the house," she warns.
While it’s tempting to use four-way bar adaptors to increase the number of appliances you can plug into a wall socket, it’s vital to check you’re not exceeding the rating on the extension lead, and you should never plug one extension lead into another.
5. Smoking guests
Even if you and your family are non-smokers, some of your Christmas guests may light up. Lumsden suggests: "If there are any smokers visiting, advise them to only do so outside but check they haven’t left any lighters or matches lying around where children might be able to reach them."
6. Poorly placed decorations
Decorations can burn easily, so it’s important to make sure they’ve been put up safely away from lights, heaters, and fires. In addition, don’t let decorations, gifts, or Christmas clutter block escape routes – they should be kept clear in case you need to escape a fire.
7. Electrical gifts
Check electrical gifts you buy or receive are safe, advises the NFCC. You can do this by always buying from reputable retailers, looking for CE marks (showing they meet safety standards), ensuring you have the correct charger for the device, and following the manufacturer’s instructions on charging safely.
8. Broken smoke alarms
The HSE recommends having at least one smoke alarm for each floor in your home. For example, the ground floor and first floor if you live in a two-storey house. Put one in your hallway and one at each upper level in the landing area.
A smoke alarm on each floor in your home is a minimum. Aim to have one in every room so that fire will be discovered as early as possible.
Smoke alarms with a 10-year life span are best. These come with a lithium battery that will not need to be changed during the life span of the alarm. Older smoke alarms run on batteries that you have to replace every year.
Lumsden says: "Test your smoke alarm systems before the big day and never be tempted to remove batteries to put in the new toys that have arrived."
*If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can visit Ask About Alcohol.
