Home fires are the nation’s most frequent disaster. Just last month, the American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming responded to 97 home fires to help 240 people with urgent needs like food, lodging and recovery assistance. Often among the first on the scene, our trained disaster response volunteers meet with families affected by home fires—providing comforts like warm blankets, food and shelter—and help them begin to plan their recovery.
Candles are very popular, especially around the holidays. But did you know that candles cause about 20 home fires a day on average in the U.S.? December is the peak month for home candle fires. If you’re decorating with candles this holiday season, consider using the battery-operated kind. If you must use candles, keep them away from anything that could burn, and place them out of reach of pets and children. Never leave burning candles unattended.
The Red Cross offers these additional steps you can take to deck your halls safely:
- Check all holiday light cords to ensure they aren’t frayed or broken. Don’t string too many strands of lights together — no more than three per extension cord.
- Turn off all holiday lights when going to bed or leaving the house.
- Ensure outside decorations are for outdoor use and fasten lights securely to your home or trees. If using hooks or nails outside, make sure they are insulated to avoid an electrocution or fire hazard.
- If buying an artificial tree, look for the fire-resistant label. When putting it up, keep it away from fireplaces, radiators and other sources of heat. Never use electric lights on metallic trees.
- If getting a live tree, make sure it’s fresh and keep it watered. To test if the tree is fresh, bend the needles up and down to make sure no needles fall off.
- Don’t light the fireplace if hanging stockings or other decorations on the mantel.
- Check the labels of older decorations. Some older tinsel is lead-based. If using angel hair, wear gloves to avoid irritation. Avoid breathing in artificial snow.
- If using a ladder, be extra careful. Make sure to have good, stable placement and wear shoes that allow for good traction.
You can also help keep your family safe by testing your smoke alarms monthly and practicing your home fire escape plan until everyone can escape in two minutes or less. Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including an escape plan to practice with your family. You can also download our free Emergency app (search “American Red Cross” in app stores).
Breakdown of the CO & WY 87 county service area for November 2021:
- Mile High Chapter (MHC) responded to 19 calls for service and helped 50 people. The MHC response area includes ten counties in the Denver Metro area.
- Southeastern Colorado Chapter (SECO) responded to 41 calls for service and helped 88 people. The SECO response area includes 16 counties.
- Northern Colorado Chapter (NOCO) responded to six calls for service and helped 27 people. The NOCO response area includes 11 counties.
- Western Colorado Chapter (WECO) responded to 13 calls for service and helped 29 people. The WECO response area covers 27 counties, serving all western Colorado and the San Luis Valley.
- Wyoming Chapter (WYO) responded to 18 calls for assistance and provided care to 46 people. The WYO response area covers 21 counties in the state of Wyoming.