This holiday season the Southern Stone County Fire Protection District is proud to announce that we are continuing our holiday tradition. Starting December 6th, we will be hanging a Christmas Wreath at our Fire Station No. 1 on Highway 76 in Branson West. The wreath will be adorned with bright red Christmas lights to show our holiday spirit and our commitment to keeping our neighbors safe! The wreath will be a constant reminder for all of us to practice good fire safety during this holiday season. In the unfortunate event of a house fire in December we will replace one red light bulb with one white light bulb, so let’s do everything we can to keep our Christmas wreath glowing red!
Fire safety is our mission and ensuring our communities and our neighbors have a safe and enjoyable holiday season is our number one priority!
Here are a few tips on how to keep your family safe and our wreath glowing red this holiday season!
Kitchen fires are the number one cause of fires in the home in the U.S. and sadly one of the most preventable. Be sure to never leave a stove top or oven on while unattended. Even if you just must run to the store for that final forgotten ingredient, we all know how busy this time of year is, it’s easy to get distracted! Play it safer and bake it later! If you are frying a turkey this year, remember to make sure it is not frozen, and don’t fry it on a wood deck, in the garage, or close to the overhang of the roof.
Overloaded electric circuits and the use of extension cords are a close second for fire causes in the home. When bedazzling your home for the Christmas light Spectacular be sure to follow the manufactures recommended limits on amps for both the Christmas lights & extension cords and know the limits of your home’s electric service. Call a local electrician for guidance if you are unsure of what your home can support.
Rounding up the top three causes for fires in the home are flue fires due to uncleaned chimneys and lack of protective screens in front of fireboxes. Everyone loves the crackling sound of a nice warm fire while visiting with friends and family, especially when opening presents on Christmas morning. We recommend having your chimney cleaned annually, if you can’t remember the last time, it’s probably a good sign that it is time to get it done. Santa will thank you for it! And don’t forget to keep protective screens in place to keep those pesky popping embers in the firebox where they belong!
Most importantly, make sure you have plenty of working smoke detectors that give early warnings about smoke and fire in the home. This, in combination with sleeping with bedroom doors closed, save lives!
Let’s make this the safest and most memorable holiday season yet! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at the Southern Stone County Fire Protection District! Neighbors Helping Neighbors since 1986.
FFAM
