TORRINGTON – Christmas is the happiest time of year, but it can also be one of the most dangerous in terms of fire safety. According to the National Fire Protection Association, every year around 170 house fires occur during the holiday season that are directly related to Christmas decorations.
While the biggest danger has traditionally been related to a dried-out natural Christmas tree being set ablaze by heat-emitting lights, Torrington Volunteer Fire Department Chief Lance Petsch said LED bulbs and artificial trees have abated a lot of the risk. The biggest issue firefighters see now, he said, is complacency.
“It’s ceramic heaters and placing items on heaters,” he said. “During the holidays, people like their scented candles and all of that kind of stuff. I think it could be that as much the lighting issues.
“You’ve got a blanket and you put it in front of your heater and it gets too hot, or if you move furniture around because you put your tree up and you accidentally put it in front of your register. There are a lot of complacency possibilities.”
According to the NFPA, 43 percent of holiday-related fires were due to electrical issues. Petsch said this holds true in Torrington, as overloaded circuits, frayed wires and outdated equipment can account for holiday disasters.
“I think a lot of the problem we see this time if the years has to do with extra heaters and ceramic heaters,” he said. They overload circuits. They just have to be careful that they’re not overloading their circuits by running those.
“Just be aware of where you’re putting stuff. Be aware of how much stuff you’re putting into extension cords. If you have older extension cords, you might want to look at getting some newer equipment.”
To be safe during the holidays, Petsch said it’s important for everyone to make sure they have functioning smoke detectors in their homes – all of the time, not just over the holidays.
“We recommend to at least check your batteries when the time changes,” he said. “It’s good to do a test once a month. It’s good to change the batteries on a regular basis. Those batteries should be good for six months because hopefully they’re not being used
very much.”
