'Tis the season for these simple home fire safety tips

This holiday season, the Kelowna Fire Department (KFD) is sharing safety tips to ensure your festivities are full of sparkle, not sparks.  

“Don’t forget about safety during the flurry of activities that lead up to the holiday season” said Paul Johnson, Fire Prevention Officer, Kelowna Fire Department. “Many of the fires we deal with during the holidays are avoidable and we can reduce the risk of these fires by following some simple safety tips. These simple reminders can make a big difference in ensuring a safe holiday season.”

Johnson says a fire can easily start with something as small and simple as an overly dry Christmas tree, an unwatched pot on the stovetop, or a turkey left in the unattended in the oven for too long. He recommends keeping holiday gatherings safe with the following top five entertaining safety tips:

• Ensure your smoke alarms are operational by testing them and replacing the batteries before the holidays.   
• Keep candles out of reach of children and pets. Pets can knock over candles with just a simple nudge or wag of their tails.
• Keep a watchful eye on stovetop items and food in the oven and have a lid nearby to smother pan fires. Don’t throw water on top of a stovetop fire.
• Request smoking guests to go outside and have them use a deep ashtray with water to extinguish any smoking materials.
• Use electronic or LED candles for table décor whenever possible. If you must use real candles, never leave them unattended and ensure they are enclosed in a glass container, where the top of the flame does not exceed the rim.

In addition to these home entertaining tips, the KFD also has some dedicated tree safety tips to make your family decorating fun, festive and safe:

• Ideally, use an artificial tree that is non-combustible.
• If you do choose to use a real tree, ensure it has fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched. When you get your tree home, cut two inches off the bottom off the base of the trunk before placing it in the stand and ensure that you water the tree daily to keep it well-hydrated.
• Make sure your tree is at least three feet away from any heat source – such as fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents, or lights.
• Only use lights that have a “CAN” or “ULC” stamp which certifies they are approved for use in Canada.
• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections and never exceed manufacturer’s instruction for maximum number of strand connections.
• Never use lit candles to decorate your tree.
• Always turn off tree lights before leaving your home for the evening or going to bed.
• Make sure that your tree is not blocking an exit within your home.
• Get rid of any dried-out trees immediately as they are a real fire danger and should not be left in your garage, or placed nearby outside or against your home.

In recent years, KFD has also noticed an increase in the use of holiday fireworks during New Year's celebrations. Please note that the use of fireworks in the city is prohibited unless you are certified through Natural Resources Canada as a fireworks operator and have valid fireworks permit issued from the fire department.   

For more information and fire safety videos, including fire safety in the kitchen, visit kelowna.ca/fire.