‘Tis the season to think fire safety

  • Published
  • By 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  In this festive season, the Dover Air Force Base Fire Department wants to remind Team Dover to stay safe and keep their families and friends safe throughout December and into the new year.

Each year, nearly 2,000 people are injured by fires during the Holiday season.

The following tips were provided by Tech. Sgt. Michael A. Routh, 436th Civil Engineer Squadrons Fire and Emergency Flight fire inspector, and can greatly reduce the chance of a holiday fire if observed:


Live Christmas Trees: Special fire safety precautions need to be taken when keeping a live tree in the house. A burning tree can rapidly fill a room with fire and deadly gases. Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needle should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. If you shake or bounce the tree and a lot of needles fall off, the tree was cut too long ago and is a fire hazard. Locate your tree away from escape routes and doors. Make sure the tree is thoroughly watered. Don't place your tree close to a heat source or heat vent. This will dry your tree out quicker, making it easier to ignite. Don't put your tree up too early or take it down too late. Live trees in Base housing must be taken down during the week following New Year's Day.

Artificial Christmas Trees: The popularity of artificial Christmas trees has produced a wide variety of models and styles. Look for a tree that suits your needs but be sure the tree is flame retardant and Underwriters Laboratory (UL) approved. Again, locate your tree away from escape routes and doors. The tree may be flame retardant but will melt and smoke if exposed to heat or flame.

Holiday Lights: Make sure the lights you buy are meant to be used for the purpose you want. If you are going to decorate outside, make sure the light set is listed for outdoor use. Ensure the lights are UL approved. Inspect and test lights for frayed wiring, bare spots, broken bulbs and cracked sockets or plugs before you start putting them up. Do not link more than three sets of lights together. Connect strings of lights into the extension cord and then into an outlet. Periodically check the cords; they should not be warm to the touch. Do not leave holiday lights on when you are not home!

Decorations: All decorations should be non flammable or flame retardant and placed away from heat vents and fire places.

Use Care with Candles: If you do use candles, make sure they are in stable holders away from combustibles (window shades, table cloth, etc.) where they can not be easily knocked over. A popular new way of enjoying candles is by using a candle warmer. This is much safer than burning, and makes the candle last longer, without the soot and fire danger. Just remember to turn off warmers when not in use. Never leave the house with candles burning!

Holiday Cooking: Don't get caught up in the festivities and forget about the food cooking in the kitchen. The rule is simple: Do not leave the stove or range unattended!

Follow the previous fire safety tips, make sure your smoke detector is working, and remember to practice your home escape plan to keep your family fire safe during the holiday season.

The Fire & Emergency Flight wishes you and your family a fire safe holiday season. For information, call the Fire Prevention Office at 677-4414 or 677-4415.