Fire Facts
Nearly half (44%) of American households who made an estimate thought they would have at least 6 minutes before a fire in their home would become life-threatening. The time available is often less. And only 8% said their first thought on hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out!
Source: Harris Interactive Survey, Fall 2004, conducted for NFPA (PDF, 759 KB), and NFPA’s Fire Loss in the United States During 2003 report (PDF, 89 KB).
- Use caution with holiday decorations and whenever possible,
choose those made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant or non-combustible
materials.
- Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials,
and do not use candles to decorate Christmas trees.
- Purchase only lights and electrical decorations bearing the
name of an independent testing lab, and follow the manufacturer's
instructions for installation and maintenance.
- Carefully inspect new and previously used light strings and
replace damaged items before plugging lights in. Do not overload
extension cords.
- Always unplug lights before replacing light bulbs or fuses.
- Don't mount lights in any way that can damage the cord's wire
insulation (i.e., using clips, not nails).
- Keep children and pets away from light strings and electrical
decorations.
- Turn off all light strings and decorations before leaving the
house or going to bed.
More information from the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
City of Columbia Mobile
privacy & use policy
