The Lake Havasu City Fire Department/Fire Prevention Bureau wishes all residents of our community a safe and happy Holiday Season!

 

 

To help ensure that you have a safe Holiday Season, we have taken the time to list a few helpful safety tips to pass on to you when you purchase your Christmas tree and use candles.  Remember, should a fire originate in or near your tree or other holiday decorations, your home and its occupants will be in danger.

 

The following are suggestions to help make your holiday a safer one:

 

Check your smoke detector to make sure it is operating properly; or purchase a new one.

 

When putting your tree up, first cut about an inch off the bottom of the tree.  This will expose fresh cuts for capillary action to take place more easily.  Use a sturdy water reservoir tree holder.  Maintain water level.  Avoid overload of electric outlets for your lights.  If a cord is hot, this indicates an excessive load; this applies to any cord.  When there is no one in the room to enjoy the lights on the tree, turn them off.  And, of course, when leaving the house, they should always be turned off.  Your tree must not block an exit.  Locate trees as remote as possible from stairways or doorways.  Trees should be checked for dryness by the following method: stand in front of a branch, grasp it with reasonably firm pressure and pull your hand toward you, allowing the branch to slip through your grasp.  If the needles fall off readily, the tree does not have adequate moisture content, and it shall be removed immediately.  Never leave the tree up after the needles begin to fall off.  The tree should never be located near a heat source, such as a heater or a fireplace.  Placing a tree near a heat source may cause a more rapid drying of the tree.

 

For Holiday candle use:

 

Use only candleholders that have a broad base, place candle holders/candelabra out of the traveled areas, candle holders/candelabra should be kept high, out of the filed of contact with hair or clothing, holders should be protected against tipping over.  Remember short fat candles are more stable than tall, thin candles.

 

 

Again, we'd like to wish you a SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!