Fire Safety During The Holiday Season
Nothing feels better on a cool autumn day than a roaring fire. Whether your family spends time outdoors around the fire pit roasting marshmallows or cozied up around the fireplace, the crackling warmth brings everyone a little bit closer. Unfortunately, autumn is prime time for fire damage. With dry leaves, high winds and cooking marathons for the holidays, your home and family are at risk.
Numbers do not lie
The National Fire Protection Association reports that Thanksgiving Day in 2013 (the most recent data available) saw 1,550 home cooking fires, 230% above the national daily average. Thanksgiving is the peak day for home fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.
In addition to cooking fires, outdoor fires have their own risks. Your fire pit may keep you warm and make some great memories, but it can be as dangerous as a grease fire in your kitchen, or setting off fireworks in an unsafe location. Keep this information from the NFPA in mind the next time you or your loved ones are ready to do anything involving open flames:
- Outside fireplaces or fire pits caused nearly 3,700 grass and brush fires
- Total outdoor patio heater or fire pit injuries has nearly tripled in six years (1,330 to 3,608) from 2006 – 2012
- More than half of all candle fires start when things that can burn are too close to the candle
- An average of 8,800 home fires involved grills, hibachis, or barbecues each year
- In 2012, sparklers, fountains and novelties accounted for 25% of emergency room fireworks-related injuries
Keeping your family safe with best practices
McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, wants you and your family to be safe this year. We compiled a list of some tips to remember to help you:
- Kids and pets can cause fires to spread, and are at the greatest risk of being burned – especially when they are young and curious.
- Make sure that open flames are out of reach, whether you’re building a bonfire at a campsite or lighting a fire in your chimney.
- Don’t leave the kitchen while you’re cooking. Children can burn themselves on hot pots and pans, and a grease fire can start sometimes without warning. Keep your dish towels away from open flames, too.
- Make sure that your smoke detectors are working properly.
- Develop a working fire escape plan for your family, especially if you have little ones or pets in the house.
If you are still using Tot-Finder stickers from your local fire department, you may want to reconsider where they are placed. These stickers can waste valuable time by directing first responders to old rooms. Consider instead placing them on the outside of bedroom doors so that firefighters can see them during an internal search. Alternatively, post an updated list of children and pets near the front door.
The holidays are a time for family and fun. Nothing can ruin that faster than a devastating house fire. Keep your family and friends safe this holiday season. We hope that you don’t need us, but when you do, the experienced personal injury attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, are here to help. We can fight for your rights; we can fight for you. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Randy is the former President of the South Carolina Association for Justice. He has been certified by the American Board of Professional Liability as a specialist in Medical Malpractice Law which is recognized by the South Carolina Bar. Randy has also been awarded the distinction of being a “Super Lawyer” 10 times in the last decade. He has over 25 years of experience helping injured people fight back against corporations, hospitals and wrong-doers.
Read more about S. Randall Hood