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Description
Clearwater Fire & Rescue has some suggestions to keep your families and homes safe during the holidays.
A
Merry
Christmas
happy
Hanukkah,
joyous,
Kwanzaa
and
seasons
greetings
to
all.
This
is
the
time
of
year
when
families
come
together
cook
and
decorate
their
homes,
for
whichever
occasion
they
celebrate
home,
decorations,
Bring,
Back,
special
memories
and
time
shared
with
family.
However,
these
same
decorations,
if
not
properly
installed
and
maintained,
can
increase
fire
risks,
property
damage
and
even
death
here
at
Clearwater
fire.
We
want
you
to
have
a
wonderful
holiday
season,
and
here
are
some
facts
and
tips
to
help
make
sure
your
family
and
home
stay
safe
during
this
time.
A
Each
year
around
Christmas
time,
millions
of
dollars
in
damage
is
reported
due
to
the
Christmas
tree
fires
inside
the
home.
The
top
causes
are
faulty
electrical
or
being
positioned
too
close
to
an
open
flame
or
heater.
Although
some
people
prefer
live
Christmas
trees
for
the
tradition
or
that
Christmas
tree
smell,
live
trees
pose
the
greatest
risk.
A
Some
ways
to
minimize
the
chances
of
a
fire
occurring
is
remembering
to
water.
Your
tree
every
day
after
a
tree
is
cut
from
the
ground.
It
begins
drying
out.
This
process
can
be
slowed
down
by
keeping
it
water
daily,
but
if
not,
the
needles
become
dry
and
brittle
and
will
easily
ignite
and
burn
if
near
a
heat
source.
For
this
reason,
the
National
Fire
Protection
Association
book,
one
chapter
10,
section
13
states
that
live
Christmas
trees
are
prohibited
from
being
installed
in
hotels,
schools,
dormitories
and
other
public
places
where
large
amounts
of
people
are
present.
A
When
you
begin
decorating,
your
tree
make
sure
hold
on
a
minute
Santa.
My
mistake:
that's
just
inspector
Paul
since
you're
here.
Do
you
mind
demonstrating
for
us
some
safety
tips
for
the
holiday
season?
Great,
let's
continue
on
with
decorating
the
tree
when
installing
lights
make
sure
to
check
each
strand
for
damage
and
make
sure
bulbs
are
secured
in
their
socket
and
finally
check
the
positioning
of
your
tree
and
make
sure
it's
not
in
close
proximity
to
candles,
fireplaces
space
heaters
or
any
other
heat
source.
A
A
good
rule
of
thumb
is
to
keep
at
least
three
foot
clearance
around
the
tree.
Hey
Paul,
do
you
mind?
Checking
the
water
level
in
that
tree
stand
outstanding.
Paul
gives
it
a
thumbs
up.
So
you
know
it
must
be
good,
believe
it
or
not.
Before
the
invention
of
electrical
Christmas
tree
lights,
actual
lit
candles
were
in
place
on
Christmas
trees
for
illumination
after
countless
fires
and
fatalities.
A
Now
that
we've
covered
some
of
the
indoor
safety
components
for
decorating
your
home,
let's
talk
about
Clark
Griswold's
pride
and
joy,
exterior
illumination,
when
choosing
lights,
to
install
on
the
outside
of
your
home
check
to
see
how
many
strands
can
be
connected
together
safely
and
make
sure
the
lights
are
rated
for
exterior
use.
Exterior
strands
have
thicker
more
durable
sheathing
over
the
wires
that
can
withstand
the
elements
and
remember
to
not
overload
your
Outlets
with
multi-plug
adapters
or
excessive
amounts
of
extension
cords.
A
Not
all
extension
cords
are
the
same
and
the
thin
small
ones
you
see
with
the
double-sided
Outlets
are
four
interior
decorations
only
consider
using
LED
lights
whenever
possible
because
they
don't
produce
heat
or
contain
inner
filaments
inside
their
glass
covers
just
like
inside
lights,
examine
each
Strand
and
check
for
frayed
wires
for
damage
before
installing
them,
Hanukkah
and
Kwanzaa.
Both
use
candles
to
represent
and
symbolize
the
meaning
of
the
holidays
when
using
candles
or
open
Flames.
A
A
few
simple
steps
can
be
taken
to
ensure
the
safety
of
everywhere
involved
in
the
celebration
to
start
things
out
make
sure
the
smoke
detectors
are
working
and
change
the
batteries
if
needed,
candles
should
fit
snugly
in
a
sturdy
candle
holder
and
never
placed
in
a
window
where
blinds
or
curtains
can
catch
fire
always
keep
items
that
can
burn
at
least
12
inches
away
from
the
lit
candle.
Have
an
adult
present
supervise
the
lighting
and
never
pass
a
lid
candle
to
someone
else.
Have
them
light
their
own.
A
All
candles
should
be
blown
out
when
you
leave
the
room
or
go
to
bed,
but
if
they
must
remain
lit,
make
sure
it
is
enclosed.
In
a
glass
container
or
sitting
on
a
metal
tray,
preferably
in
the
sink,
December
is
a
peak
time
of
the
year
for
home
candle
fires
with
over
half
of
them
occurring
when
the
candle
is
placed
too
close
to
something
that
can
burn
using
these
simple
tips,
you
can
rest
easy,
knowing
you
have
minimized
the
chances
of
a
fire
occurring.