Holiday Safety Tips from Monroe's Firefighters

The Monroe, Stepney, and Stevenson Volunteer Fire Departments wish Monroe residents and their families a happy and safe holiday season. We also thank all of those who generously supported our fund raising activities during 2011.

Unfortunately, with this time of year comes a sharp increase in the number of household fires and burn injuries across the U.S. particularly related to cooking, candles, and heating systems. To ensure the safety of your family and your property, your local volunteer firefighters offer the following tips and suggestions:

In the Family Room:

• Make sure that there are working smoke detectors installed on each level of your house, and in each bedroom
• Check the water level of your Christmas tree at least daily
• Do not leave candles burning unattended, and keep them away from areas where they can be knocked over by small children or pets
• When using the fireplace, be sure to first open the flue and burn dry, seasoned wood. Throwing wrapping paper and other materials into the fire can result in a flammable build-up in the flue
• If there are children visiting your home, remind them to keep away from the wood burning stove or fireplace. It may be second nature to your own children, but maybe not to visitors
• Discard ashes and log remnants in noncombustible containers, safely away from the house. Do not throw these materials onto your deck or wooden front porch

In the Kitchen:
Do not leave stove-top cooking unattended, and keep either a fire extinguisher or baking soda nearby. Simply placing the lid on a burning pot or pan may also control a small fire
Avoid the post holiday temptation of using the self-cleaning function on a very greasy oven. Due to the high heat, a heavy grease accumulation can start a fire in the oven, so first conduct a preliminary cleaning using handheld cleaners
Avoid wearing loose clothing while cooking, keep pot and pan lids facing inward, and keep small children away from the stove and oven while cooking
Outside:
During snowstorms, make sure someone on your block has dug out the fire hydrant, that your mailbox numbers are still visible, and that elderly neighbors have at least one shoveled path so that they can escape in an emergency, or so that first responders can get to them

• Don't run your snow blower in the garage-  it produces dangerous carbon monoxide