Citizens of the Moraga-Orinda Fire District,

Happy December! As we are all excited for the winter holidays, it's also important to remain fire-safe.

Did you know that candles cause more than one-third of home decoration fires and that more than one in five Christmas tree fires were caused by a heat source too close to the tree? (NFPA).

To prevent Christmas tree fires, keep these tips in mind:

• Don't overload your tree with too many lights
• Make sure to keep the tree away from other sources of heat
• Remember to water your tree constantly
• Don't decorate the tree with lit candles
• Turn off all lights and decorations when you go to bed

 When cooking, stay alert and keep anything that could catch on fire (potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, etc.) away from the stovetop. Remember turkey fryers MUST be used outdoors and away from buildings and any other combustible materials.

The easiest way to keep your family safe is to make sure all smoke alarms are fully functional with new fresh batteries. Make sure to check your smoke alarms today.

Here are some additional tips to keep you and your loved ones fire-safe for the holidays:

https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Seasonal-fire-causes/Winter-holidays

https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/Building-and-Life-Safety/Home-Structure-Fires

https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-media/Blogs-Landing-Page/Safety-Source/Blog-Posts/2021/03/05/As-Daylight-Savings-approaches-keep-NFPAs-smoke-alarm-battery-messages-in-mind