FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Brad Ruhmann, cell: 863-581-5893

Polk County Fire Rescue Public Information Officer

Christmas Tree Fires Likely to be More Serious than Average Home Fires Polk County Fire Rescue Shares Tips for Safe Holidays

POLK COUNTY, Fla. (Nov. 26, 2014) – Many families choose the long Thanksgiving

weekend to decorate for the holidays, and festive lighting, windowsill candles and

ornamented Christmas trees are staples. But these decorative items also pose a fire

risk if handled improperly.

A 2007-2011* non-profit National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) study of home

fires, showed that on average, one of every 40 reported home Christmas tree fires

resulted in a death, compared to an average of one death per 142 total home fires.

Here are Polk County Fire Rescue’s tips for safe holiday decorating:

Be careful with holiday decorations. Choose decorations that are flame

resistant or flame retardant.

Keep lit candles away from decorations and other things that can burn.

Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory. Check

the packaging; some lights are only for indoor use.

Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb

connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini light sets and a

maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs.

Use clips, not nails, to hang lights so the cords do not get damaged.

Keep decorations away from windows and doors.

For proper Christmas tree safety: 

Keep your tree well watered.  A dry tree can be extremely dangerous. See

how flammable a dry Christmas tree can be in comparison to a well-watered

tree in a demonstration by the NFPA, here: http://bit.ly/H4ra3o.

Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb

connections. Connect no more than three strands of mini string sets and a

maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs.

Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.

Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.

Get rid of the tree when it is dry. Check with your local community to find a

recycling program.

Bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards

and make them last longer.

For more information on safe holiday decorating and holiday cooking safety, including

turkey fryer safety tips, visit www.NFPA.org. For more information on Polk County Fire

Rescue visit www.polkfire.net.

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Polk County Fire Rescue (PCFR) is a division of the Board of County Commissioners. PCFR provides fire, emergency medical and emergency management services to residents in a 2000 square mile area, as well as provides mutual aid to surrounding counties. PCFR has more than 525 full time employees throughout 45 stations, which run more than 75,000 calls each year.

*Dates in news release reflect most recent study conducted by the non-profit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

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