This holiday season, the Kelowna Fire Department (KFD) is sharing safety tips to ensure your festivities are full of sparkle, not sparks.
“Don’t forget about safety during the flurry of activities that lead up to the holiday season” said Paul Johnson, fire prevention officer, Kelowna Fire Department.
“Many of the fires we deal with during the holidays are avoidable and we can reduce the risk of these fires by following some simple safety tips. These simple reminders can make a big difference in ensuring a safe holiday season.”
Johnson says a fire can easily start with something as small and simple as an overly dry Christmas tree, an unwatched pot on the stovetop, or a turkey left in the unattended in the oven for too long.
He recommends keeping holiday gatherings safe with the following top five entertaining safety tips:
- Ensure your smoke alarms are operational by testing them and replacing the batteries before the holidays.
- Keep candles out of reach of children and pets. Pets can knock over candles with just a simple nudge or wag of their tails.
- Keep an eye on stovetop items and food in the oven and have a lid nearby to smother pan fires. Don’t throw water on top of a stovetop fire.
- Request smoking guests to go outside and have them use a deep ashtray with water to extinguish any smoking materials.
- Use electronic or LED candles for table décor whenever possible. If you must use real candles, never leave them unattended and ensure they are enclosed in a glass container, where the top of the flame does not exceed the rim.
Its recommended residents make sure trees are at least three feet away from any heat source – such as fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents, or lights.
In recent years, the fire department has also noticed an increase in the use of holiday fireworks during New Year's celebrations.
The use of fireworks in the city is prohibited unless you are certified through Natural Resources Canada as a fireworks operator and have valid fireworks permit issued from the fire department.
For more information and fire safety videos, including fire safety in the kitchen, visit kelowna.ca/fire.