Real Estate: Tips on How To

Each year there are numerous residential fires during the holiday season. Most can be prevented. To ensure your happy holiday doesn’t turn into tragedy, you need to follow a few extra fire safety precautions.

Supervise Children

Don’t leave small children alone in the home even for a moment.
Teach children to stay away from candles, fireplaces, trees and space heaters.
Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach.
Keep electric toys away from natural or artificial trees and paper decorations.

Christmas Trees

Natural Trees

Buy the freshest, greenest Christmas tree you can find. Trees that are too dry have brittle branches that shed needles easily.
Test twigs and needles for flexibility. A dry tree will break, not bend.
Store the tree outdoors, preferably in shade, until you’re ready to use it.
Use a stand that includes a water receptacle at the base to keep end of tree wet. Add water to the tree each day.
Keep the tree away from candles, fireplaces, heating vents, radiators, television sets and other sources of heat.
Make sure your tree doesn’t block fire exits.
Keep a multi-purpose dry chemical fire extinguisher on hand.
Use decorations that are flame-resistant or non-combustible.
Turn light strings off before you go to bed and when you leave the house.
Discard the tree when it begins to turn brown or dry out.

Artificial Trees

Artificial trees must have a fire-retardant label.
Metal or aluminum trees are conductors of electricity. Don’t decorate them with strings of lights or with any electrical product.

Space Heaters Need Space

Space heaters must have a Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Label.
Keep portable space heaters at least 1 metre (3 feet) from anything combustible including paper, drapes, furniture, bedding and wallpaper.
Never place clothes on a heater to dry.
Avoid leaving heaters on when you leave the house or go to bed.
Keep children well away from heaters.

Decorative Lighting

Indoor lights

Examine light strings for wear or damage each year before re-using them. Replace worn sets.
Before replacing burned out lights, unplug the light string.
Unplug all decorative lighting before you go to bed or leave your home.
Use light strings, bulb reflectors, electrically lit decorations and extension cords that bear the CSA label and are marked for indoor use.

Outdoor lights

Use CSA labeled light strings and cords that are marked for outdoor use.
Turn off electricity to the outlet before working with outdoor wiring.
Use insulated tape, not metal nails or tacks to hold strings of lights in place.
Don’t tape cords over, under, or along metal eavestroughs.
Run all outdoor cords above ground, keeping them out of puddles and snow.
To prevent moisture from entering bulb sockets, turn the bulbs to face the ground.

Fireplaces

Have a professional cleaner inspect and clean your chimney at least once a year.
Always use a fire screen.
Burn only materials appropriate for a fireplace. Never burn trash or paper. Burned paper can fly out your chimney. Put ashes in metal containers and never store them in your home.

Candles

Always stand candles in stable, non-tip candle holders before you light them.
Keep candles away from combustible decorations or displays.
Never leave candles burning unattended or within reach of small children.
Extinguish candles before you leave a room or before you go to bed.

Holiday Parties

Use flame-retardant or non-combustible decorations and costumes.
Don’t smoke near the tree or decorations. Use large ashtrays, and store matches out of the reach of children. Check for cigarette butts in upholstered furniture before you go to bed.

Protect your family. Protect your home. Join the War on Fire. For the fire prevention office in the GTA area, visit the City of Toronto’s web site (www.toronto.ca) or call Access Toronto at 416.338.0338.

Provided by Toronto Fire Services.

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