‘Tis the season for festive fun, time with family and, sadly, house fires. And not the kind in the fireplace that everyone gathers around holding a hot mug of cocoa.
The majority of house fires year round are caused, according to national statistics, by smoking and cooking. The person who falls asleep on the couch after a hard day’s work while having a cigarette is still one of the leading culprits for house fires. Right behind him or her is the person who forgets they’ve left the bacon frying on the stove. Grease fires are fast and deadly.
But during the winter months when the temperatures drop, people often use a number of ways to try to stay warm. Space heaters are the usual addition. But some folks have used stoves, and open fireplaces. Throw in the multitude of candles that seem to be required for that festive glow in homes, and you have accidents just waiting to happen.
Over a century ago folks used to put lit candles on real Christmas trees, have kerosene stoves and gas lights. Needless to say, they had more fires and less chance of surviving them.
Nowadays if a family is careful and follows basic safety rules, chances are they can avoid disasters. But even the most cautious folks can have accidents. Electrical shorts, overloaded plugs – there are numerous ways a fire can start in a home.
This past week in Burnaby several people are reeling from having house fires impact them.
As our page 3 story shows, one fire can have a tremendous impact on a family.
Smoke damage is not to be underestimated.
Anyone who has had their belongings affected by smoke knows just how damaging it is.
So, please, folks – don’t become another fire story in our pages.
Don’t go crazy with the candles.
Don’t overload sockets or plugs.
Don’t leave stuff on the stove unattended.
Don’t ever smoke when you’ve had a couple of drinks and you’re nodding off on the couch.
Don’t leave space heaters on when you’re not around.
Don’t throw a log on the fire before you go to bed.
Don’t try and deep fry that turkey on the balcony.
Stay safe!
