Issue Date: November 30, 2008
SafetySmart |
SAMANTHA LEE CRUISE |
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A holiday fire alarm
Don't let flames get too close to the gifts!
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December and January are the peak months for home fires. "Holidays are a hectic time," says the National Fire Protection Association's Marty Ahrens. "And sometimes that makes it hard to take the time to be safe."
Keep an eye on candles, and extinguish them when you leave the room. And keep them away from flammable objects (gift boxes, curtains).
Stay in the kitchen if the range is on. "The kitchen is the leading area where home fires start," Ahrens says, "and the leading cause of cooking fires is unattended cooking." If you leave the kitchen while something's cooking, then take a timer with you.
Use the fireplace correctly. "The fireplace is only for hardwoods," says Lt. Anthony Mancuso of the New York City Fire Department. So don't put any gift wrap, boxes or pine needles on the fire.
Test your smoke alarm today. That can double your chance of surviving a home fire, Mancuso says.
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