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Householders urged to stay fire safe this Christmas

13 December 2012: With summer marking the beginning of one of New Zealand’s peak fire periods, fire protection specialist Wormald is encouraging householders to consider fire safety and carefully assess potential fire hazards around their homes.

“The Christmas holidays are all about spending time with family and loved ones. However, with plenty of distractions it’s easy to leave a barbecue burner on or forget to turn the Christmas tree lights off before going out,” said Peter Fermor, Managing Director with Wormald. “Extra precautions must be taken to ensure families, and their homes, are kept fire safe “

Fermor also highlights the importance of having smoke alarms in place. “If a fire occurs, smoke alarms can provide the precious time needed to escape. But they must be tested regularly to ensure they are in proper working order,” he says. “Now is a good time to check that you have a sufficient number of smoke alarms in your home, use the test button to check that they are working and replace the batteries if necessary.”

To ensure Christmas goes off without a hitch, householders should identify potential fire hazards around the home and take the necessary precautions to prevent a fire. Wormald offers the following tips:

Fire protection equipment
•Ensure smoke alarms are installed and in proper working order
•Equip your home with appropriate fire extinguishers and fire blankets and place them in accessible locations

Christmas trees
•Locate Christmas trees a safe distance from any potential fire starting sources such as lamps, electrical sockets or televisions
•Keep Christmas trees and decorations away from lights or candle flames
•Source fairy lights from a reliable supplier, and do not overload electrical sockets with an excessive number of lights or other electrical appliances

Barbecues/outdoors
•Be aware of any fire restrictions that you should be compliant with
•Be sure to keep the barbecue monitored whilst lit. Once finished, turn off the gas cylinder and let the remaining gas in the pipe run through the BBQ before shutting it off
•Always keep lighters and matches away from children
•If a gas leak should occur, shut off the cylinder immediately and allow any gas to dissipate
•Allow hot ashes or coals to cool for 48 hours before removing them

It’s also important to prepare an escape plan and practice it regularly. The New Zealand Fire Service has developed a unique online tool to help work out and highlight the escape routes in your home in the event of a fire. Visit www.fire.org.nz for details. For information about the Wormald range of home fire safety equipment visit www.wormald.co.nz

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