‘Tis the Season to Prevent Holiday Decoration Fires

MANCHESTER — This holiday period, the American Pink Cross Northern New England Location encourages everybody to observe basic steps to avoid house fires from getaway decorations. Most household fires involving candles come about in December, when a single in five residence decoration fires also happen.

“As a lot more of us light-weight candles to rejoice the vacations, we want to make sure everybody stays protected from residence fires — the nation’s most frequent disaster,” said John Montes, Regional Catastrophe Plan Officer for the Crimson Cross Northern New England Area. “Help secure your loved ones by applying battery-operated candles, tests your smoke alarms every month and practicing your two-minute escape prepare with everybody in your house.”

Holiday DECORATING Security Guidelines Comply with these security tips and go to redcross.org/fire for far more data, such as an escape system to practice with your spouse and children. You can also download the free of charge Purple Cross Emergency app by hunting “American Crimson Cross” in application merchants.

If you must use candles, keep them absent from just about anything that could burn off, and place them out of arrive at from pets and youngsters. Under no circumstances go away burning candles unattended.

Check out all holiday getaway mild cords to make certain they aren’t frayed or broken. Really do not string far too numerous strands of lights collectively — no more than 3 per extension twine.

Guarantee exterior decorations are for outdoor use and fasten lights securely to your household or trees. If working with hooks or nails outside, make guaranteed they are insulated to avoid an electrocution or fire hazard.

If acquiring an synthetic tree, search for the hearth-resistant label. When placing it up, continue to keep it absent from fireplaces, radiators and other sources of warmth. By no means use electric lights on metallic trees.

If acquiring a dwell tree, make positive it is new and keep it watered. To take a look at if the tree is fresh, bend the needles up and down to make sure no needles slide off.

Do not light-weight the fireplace if hanging stockings or other decorations on the mantel.

IF YOU Have to have Assist If you cannot afford to pay for to invest in smoke alarms or are physically not able to put in a person, the Pink Cross might be ready to help. Take a look at redcross.org/EndHomeFiresNNE or simply call 1-800-464-6692 (Selection 4) to schedule your free installation appointment.

Home Fire Campaign Saves Lives Given that October 2014, the Purple Cross Property Fireplace Campaign with community associates has saved at least 1,414 lives — including 3 in New Hampshire — by educating family members about fire safety, supporting them produce escape designs and setting up additional than 2.4 million free smoke alarms in superior-threat neighborhoods throughout the state. Check out redcross.org/homefires for more data.

About the American Crimson Cross:

The American Crimson Cross shelters, feeds and presents consolation to victims of disasters provides about 40{3ad958c56c0e590d654b93674c26d25962f6afed4cc4b42be9279a39dd5a6531} of the nation’s blood teaches techniques that conserve life distributes global humanitarian help and supports veterans, army users and their families. The Purple Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American general public to provide its mission. For a lot more data, you should go to redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or go to us on Twitter at @RedCross.